


幽玄 // yūgen

by floralys



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Overwatch Family, Shimada Brothers, Slow Burn, Team Talon (Overwatch), au: hanzo didn't kill genji, real slow burn, tags are updated as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-04-06 23:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14067915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floralys/pseuds/floralys
Summary: When faced with the order to kill his brother, Hanzo Shimada did what no one - including himself - expected him to do.He refused to follow it.Together, the two dragons abandoned their empire and wandered the world, relying on their skills and people who would pay for those to survive. But as the world starts to descend into turmoil and chaos the eldest dragon finds that he is confronted with more people, choices and questions than he bargained for.yūgen| (n) | a profound awareness of the universe that triggers a deep emotional response.





	1. 木枯らし // kogarashi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **木枯らし** | **kogarashi**   
> 
> the cold wind that lets us know of the arrival of winter.

 Silence.

 

The hunter thrived on it.

 

Nothing to hear but your own heartbeat, the breaths you take, enabling yourself to be one with your environment yet tuning out every single distraction around.

 

A breath in. And out.  

 

A steady hand, a trained eye. 

 

Only the whistle of an arrow sliced through the silence until it hit its mark with a dull plop.

 

His targets scatter as another arrow pierces one more.

 

His feet barely made a sound as he dropped from his perch in the tree onto the grass below, stalking through the plains as he went to fetch his prizes. Two rabbits should make for a nice enough meal. After removing the arrows and straightening up his eyes turn to the sky.

There he stood to take in the noises of nature that slowly started to return. The birds calling for each other, the trees’ leaves and the tall grass almost whispering to him as a breeze blew through. The skies would remain clear tonight.

 

The walk back to his impromptu camp was short and there was no time wasted in preparing tonight's dinner. 

  
It most certainly wasn't their first time spending the night in the open air. But he did notice that the air was growing colder with every day that passed. Their family's wealth wouldn't last them forever. Juggling his bank accounts and trying to keep them hidden was already an incredibly difficult task to keep up with. Thankfully the autumn weather had been surprisingly gentle on them this year around.

Though he supposed it was always the nice things that never lasted long enough.

 

 "You need any help?"

 

"I have the situation under control-"

 

"As always. Tell me something I don't know."

 

Without taking his eyes off the spit in front of him Hanzo Shimada let out a mere huff as his brother crawled out of the makeshift tent to sit down on the opposite side of the fire, hungrily eyeing his dinner but showing his patience as he kept his hands to himsef and looked at the elder in anticipation.

"Hippos secrete a reddish oily fluid sometimes called "blood sweat" from special glands in their skin. This fluid functions as a skin moisturizer, water repellent and antibiotic."

A silence fell.

"That is a good one." The younger brother murmured thoughtfully, leaning back to reach into his meagre belongings and taking out a small notebook. As he scribbled that small wisdom down Hanzo took one of the rabbits off the spit and gestured for Genji to take his own once he was done, quietly discussing their plans for tomorrow and the near future as they shared their meal. Since the cold was coming in they'd have a harder time spending their nights out in the open like this and honestly, even Hanzo was looking forward to getting back to civilization. While he did his best to adapt to whatever situation he was a man could only bear with so many weeks of hunting for your own food and washing up in ice cold creeks. 

"We should also seek for a doctor. It has been a while since your last checkup." Despite knowing that last word could immediately ruin Genji's mood Hanzo knew it was an unavoidable yet important subject. So met his brother's annoyed gaze with his own steeled one, ending up winning the unspoken contest without fail - as always. 

The small nod he received would have to suffice for an answer.

 

 - - - - - - -

 

Robotic enhancements weren't a new thing anymore and with the rapid advances technology has made over the years it honestly shouldn't have been much of a problem getting Genji back up on his feet after everything had been said and done. The problem however had been that they were actively being chased after (they still were, really) and settling somewhere for a proper recuperation had been an impossible task if they wanted to stay alive.

Not to mention the emotional strain that was just there and could not be avoided or properly dealt with at the time.

The traveling had been very harsh on them in the beginning. Their relationship strained, their bodies wrecked by physical and mental pains. The constant moving around, finding new doctors, acquiring new limbs one at a time - honestly, it was a miracle they'd gotten this far without Genji dying. 

 

 

> _"What now?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _A mop of greasy, green hair with black roots, a stark contast with the white pillow underneath._
> 
>  
> 
> _A sparrow with broken wings._
> 
>  
> 
> _"We survive."_

 

 

"We're here."

 

Shaken from his thoughts, Hanzo blinked and looked up out of the plane window, quickly recognizing the buildings they were nearing before glancing at the other. Genji seemed to have folded some origami swans with a couple of pages torn from the airplane magazines out of boredom. The older brother withheld from commenting on the fact they were going to have to pay for that and straigjtened up in his seat, turning his gaze back outside. 

 

"... Let us not waste our time, then."

 

\- - -

 

Numbani was a surprisingly peaceful city nowadays. It wasn't the first time they'd visited and it wouldn't be the last either. Despite knowing that frequenting a city or another certain place could lead to them being traced Hanzo was always careful not to develop a real routine. The city wasn't really to his liking anyway. It was only a specialist located in the citt that they were here for.

  
After a quick lunch (since Genji wouldn't shut up about starving to death before they got where they needed to be) Hanzo managed to arrange a squeezed-in appointment for a small sum of money and while his brother was being examined he took the time to wander through the city. Every metropolis was packed with opportunities for his line of work underneath its friendly and peaceful exterior.

What he stumbled upon, however, was something else entirely.

A fight between what seemed to be a giant gorilla, a woman with wings, another woman that seemed to be flitting around and a couple of what appeared to be terrorists - Talon, if Hanzo had to make an educated guess. Making use of the panicked crowd fleeing the scene the dragon ducked into a hallway and silently climbed up some stairs for a better vantage point.

How odd... Overwatch had been disbanded years ago. There had been that attempt at a museum heist a while ago... Though he'd assumed that had been a fluke. Heroes and villains, fighting each other for their own causes, a story that always repeats itself.

How laughable.

With a scoff he straightened up. No use wasting his time watching these 'heroes' save the day. Though just before he could turn and take his leave - a voice suddenly cut through all of the noise.

It was unlike anything he ever heard.

Deep, definitely a man's voice, somehow demanding his attention.

A breeze rolled through the street.

Pressed up against his wall, Hanzo quickly glanced down to see a single man at the end of the street, hat low over his eyes, revolver in hand.

A lone ranger surrounded by the glow of a sunset.

 

" _It's high noon_."

 

High noon.

 

High noon?

 

That's ridiculous, it was already past--

 

Despite his years upon hears of training he could not help but flinch ever so slightly at the sudden and rapid gunshots that rang in his ears, and thus six lifeless bodies fell to the floor. And all that in the blink of an eye.

... How in the world was that possible? A man couldn't physically pull the trigger that fast, that precise. Hanzo followed the stranger with his eyes as he seemingly strolled over to his teammates, taking in the praise of the hyperactive girl with a dismissive wave of his hand and a friendly smile.

That was that. 

The fight was over.

Deciding against possibly meddling in business he didn't care much about and wanting to avoid being spotted by the wrong people, Hanzo silently withdrew from the scene. If he stalled for too long Genji was probably going to leave on his own and cause trouble one way or another. 

Thankfully he found his brother just as he finished dressing up again. As much as he despised these sort of checkups he knew just as well as Hanzo did how necessary they were.

Most of his body, his legs and his right arm all came from different places. A mismatched puzzle forced to be pieced together, Genji had once called himself, with a smile that hadn't reached his eyes. There were still the scars that littered his other arm and his face. Constant reminders for them both. Now Hanzo only felt a dull bitterness seeing them - he couldn't imagine what his brother must feel having to live with them for the rest of his life. 

Somewhere he didn't even want to know.

Yet despite everything, Genji held his head up the way he'd always done. Defiant from the day he was born, headstrong and brave, always throwing himself headfirst into everything he did. 

He would never be able to fathom where he was getting that will to live from.

   

 

> _"That attitude of yours will get you killed one day."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"When that day comes, you can tell me 'I told you so', anija."_

  

 

"Good to go."

Genji hopped off the table and shook the good doctor's hand, the woman receiving a respectful nod from Hanzo before they left the building and searched for a place to spend the evening. Along the way Hanzo told his brother about what he'd seen and was a little surprised by his unexpectedly enthusiastic reaction. 

"You should've pulled me out of the clinic for that!"

That earned him a quirk of his brow.

"Oh, come on! They're real life heroes, you know I would have loved seeing something like that! A fight between a monkey and a bunch of bad guys sounds golden."

"It was a gorilla, and why would you bother. There are no such things as heroes anymore. Those fools are being no more heroic than you and I."

Not wanting to get into an argument right here and now, Genji opted to let out an exasparated sigh and fell silent as he followed his brother into the hotel he'd deemed fit for them.  
After checking in the youngest brother took the time to explore the city while Hanzo remained in their room as he looked online for any opportunities to make quick money. He didn't want to stay in the city for too long.

Genji returned around 6 p.m. to drag him back outside and into a small restaurant he'd found, wearing a tacky souvenir cap in the colors of Numbani's flag (he'd long since given up questioning him on his habit of buying godawful mementos from every city they visited) and happily talking about seeing the carnage aforementioned heroic battle had left behind ("Of course I didn't go anywhere near the media, I'm not an idiot.")

A short silence fell as they ate - though when Genji spoke up again his voice was softer and more pensive than usual.

 

"You were wrong, by the way."

 

Hanzo glanced up from his plate, expression unreadable.

 

"About what?"

 

"That those people - those heroes, whatever you want to call them. That they are no more heroic than us."

 

"And why is that?"

 

"They fight for something they believe in. They want to make the world a better place." The sparrow shifts in his seat and shrugs a little. "I think that's commendable to say the least."

 

 - - - - - - -

 

It's when Genji is long asleep and Hanzo is leaning against the windowsill when he mulls over his brother's words again. He could not deny that there was some form of truth in his words. Whether or not the actions from those people (and gorilla) were commendable, he couldn't say. Personally he found them ludicrous. Though they might say the same thing about him. Bah, let them. He couldn't bring it up in himself to care about morals anymore. He wouldn't be doing this kind of work if he did.

With a scoff he scrolled further down his screen, a cold breeze lightly tousling his hair as his eyes fell on an interesting offer. Lots of money for what seemed to be just a relatively small job. Sabotaging a couple of trucks filled with ammunition crates. There must be more than just one party after this haul. That or someone must be really desperate to get this done fast.

Not that it really mattered. 

Together with Genji this would be a quick in and out for them. They'd done things far worse, after all. Compared to some of the things they’d pulled off before this wohld be just a walk in the park.

After sending a simple message he placed his tablet aside to glance the window and take in the sight that the city offered. Street lights provided a sense of safety for the night owls still out and about in the aftershock of today’s events. Large holo-billboards depicted the news, showing that today's attack was still a hot topic. The gorilla and the woman flashed by on the screens and Hanzo could not help but frown deeply as he was reminded of their actions - and that voice that had cut through the chaos of it all.

 

For a momemt he considered Genji’s words one last time. And he inevitably  arrived to the same conclusion as before.

 

These people were fools.

 

The people had decided it didn't need Overwatch anymore. Why would you want to come back after all that?

Why go through the trouble of risking your life for such an ungrateful world?

 

Another breeze swept in through the open window and the eldest brother finally closed it, taking in the warmth of the room. He was already getting antsy. This attack wasn't helping. Something was crawling under this city’s skin.

Just the one job.

Then they would leave. 

He readied himself to go to bed in silence and lied down on his back, the narrow bed only just comfortable enough for his body to rest on. His mind took a lot longer to be lulled to sleep. 

   

 

 

 

 

> _"Don't make me say it."_

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly setup - the real action begins in the next. Upcoming chapters will also be longer.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. 生き甲斐 // ikigai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **生き甲斐** | **ikigai** (n)
> 
> a reason for being; the thing that gets you up in the morning.

 

After having spent most of the day stocking up for tonight's job and their next travels the brothers shared a light dinner in the hotel restaurant. The murmurs of the people around them quitly chatting over their meals made up for the silence between the two. Nervousness was no longer a concern for Hanzo, though he did experience a certain sort of anxiety, he supposed. Not even because of himself - he barely bothered to fret about anything, but when he did, 95% of the occasions it had been Genji was the cause of his worries. It was easier to worry about his brother than himself.

Especially since he either looked for trouble or he was just some sort of inexplicable magnet for it.

Or both.

 

"Go over the plan one more time." Hanzo calmly checked his arrows one last time before fastening his quiver as Genji rolled his eyes. They'd gone over it about twenty times already and thanks to that he was too tired to argue at the same time.

"We get through the city unseen, make our way to the warehouses. I take out the guards on the west side, you take the ones on the east. We meet at hangar 3A, wait for the employer's representatives to show up, get the money, go. Did I miss anything?" He rattled off in a monotone voice as he sheathed his blade, glancing over at his brother who merely raised an expectant brow. "... And be discreet." Genji added in a dramatically exasperated tone. That earned him a single nod in approval to which Hanzo received a roll of the eyes in return. "Let us finish this job quickly and quietly. I do not want to be in this city any longer than I have to." If he noticed Genji stilling and opening and closing his mouth as he refrained from asking why, he didn't show it.

Despite having traveled across the globe and being used to the almost nomadic lifestyle they'd adopted Hanzo had always appreciated some form of regularity in his life. On one hand he supposed that was just a byproduct of his strict upbringing - on the other hand he also figured it was just the way his brain worked. The problem with that was that his brother was the exact opposite of him regarding that aspect. Sometimes he truly wondered how they were able to cooperate as well as they did. 

It hadn't always been that way. So often they'd spent whatever time they had together bickering over the smallest things... Of course they'd shared some nicer moments. But it was easier to argue back then. He'd always assumed Genji would live in his shadow. Becoming head of the clan had been his only concern for so long.  
The first year they'd spent running from those lives he had... troubles letting that sort of attitude go. But practice makes perfect and realizing they only had each other to rely on anymore had also played an important part in their path to mutual understanding. 

 

Suiting their actions to their words, the brothers snuck through the sleeping city with a practiced precision and ease. For almost five years now they've earned their money doing things like these; jobs they'd been trained to do. Born and bred to become assassins. So killing was what they did.

They split their ways when they reached the fence. While Genji rounded it Hanzo quickly climbed over it and onto one of the buildings. One by one the guards fell, picked off by the dragons in deadly silence. Hanzo stalked across the grounds towards hangar 3A, ignoring the slight relief upon seeing Genji already waiting there. They headed inside, the door closing behind them with a metallic click. 

"These aren't even armored trucks." Genji immediately noticed, making a face when his brother gestured for him to be silent as he quietly approached one of them. He was right, however; the trucks seemed to belong to some sort of flower company, actually. That was... odd.

Usually he never bothered to mess with any goods but something like this hadn't been mentioned. So he decided to take the liberty of investigating one of the trucks. Of course the doors had been locked - but it was a simple padlock, nothing a quick smash couldn't fix.

"And be discreet." Genji muttered behind him in a mocking voice as he followed his lead in hopping into the truck, automatically helping out in busting one of the regular-looking wooden crates open.

Silence. Confusion, for a second, and then a mix of anger and disbelief.

"That isn't just regular ammunition."

"If you are going to comment like that on every thing we see here tonight..."

The eldest dragon didn't bother to finish his sentence as Genji silently mimed zipping his mouth shut, allowing Hanzo to mull over their findings and what to do next. He was careful not to touch any of the weaponry as he sought any kind of clue as to where this came from or who it was for. This wasn't just ammo, either. It was heavy artillery. And this was just one crate. A glance at the rest told him that if there were about 20 other crates as well in the other two trucks the owner of this stuff could easily start a small war. Judging from Genji's sincere silence he was thinking something similar.

Was that the purpose of all this? A war? There were plenty of conflicts going on in the world, but this was something else. This was incredibly dangerous. He knew it wasn't wise to ask too many questions in this business, so he wouldn't do that. What he did do was think about how many innocent lives could be lost to this crate alone. 

Was this really something he wanted to be affiliated with?

But what was the difference with everything else he'd done in his life up until now, then.

Before either of them could say anything about the matter in front of them the sound of the door opening reached their ears. Immediately they silently closed the crate, snuck out of the truck and climbed up the walkway behind them, weapons at the ready as they hid and Hanzo quickly glanced over at the doorway. A couple of soldiers came barging in, muttering to themselves until a small group of what almost seemed like comic book villains walked in. Although it was barely noticeable to anyone else, his brother noticed the change in his body language as he recognized a few of them. 

One man with a giant arm, one dressed in all black with a bone white mask. He didn't need to do a double take. But why? Why would not one, but two men from the top of Talon’s hierarchy bother to come inspect a couple trucks and ammunition? There was something going on here... Hanzo felt like he was missing a couple of pieces from a very important puzzle as his eyes followed Reaper and Doomfist through the hangar.

The pair assessed the trucks and he watched on as the clawed hand of the Reaper tapped the padlock, his hands clutching his bow a little tighter. A tense silence fell - until that creature slowly turned his head and looked up, holes in his mask staring straight into Hanzo's eyes. There was a sense of dread that fell over him in that moment. Something like that he hadn't experienced in a very, very long time. It wasn't quite fear yet. But it came close.

 

"Don't the dragons want to get paid for their work?"

 

That voice. It was like gravel and nails going over a chalkboard all at the same time. It was something malicious, dripping with darkness. Evil concentrate.

Both dragons stiffened for a second before glancing at one another, both realizing what they'd done. They might not be aligned to anyone but they were well aware that they'd just worked for Talon. And he could very clearly see what Genji thought about that judging from the thunderous look in his eyes.

A very quick and silent conversation happened between the two before they slowly came out of from behind their hiding spot, landing in front of the two with steeled expressions. All the soldiers had their weapons aimed at them. Though Hanzo knew that if they'd wanted them dead they would already be. For a couple of moments both parties assessed one another, silently judging and making their own assumptions about the pair standing in front of them.

 

"We do not want your money." Genji broke the silence to bite out his words much to Hanzo's dismay. One fierce look had the younger brother step back - though his glare remained. It seemed like his brother did not realize the danger that these kind of people could truly pose for them in this moment.

 

"What else is it that you require from us?" Hanzo opted to ask, addressing his question to the man with the arm. There must be some reason they hadn't been shot and killed on sight and he wasn't willing to spend a minute longer than he had to with these two. He underwent the leader’s scrutinizing gaze without even blinking, exerting a calm confidence to counter Genji’s seething behind him as the man spoke up.

 

"Nothing more. You have served us well. I have to admit, I hadn't expected to see the dragons of Hanamura in person so soon. Judging from your reactions I think it’s safe to assume you are aware of who we are?" 

 

"I do know. And I do not care for your pleasantries, Akande Ogundimu. Give us our money and we will leave."

 

With a small smirk Doomfist eyed the pair before waving a hand at one of the soldiers who promptly dropped a duffle bag in front of Hanzo's feet. The man picked it up without taking his eyes off the others, grabbing a hold of Genji's arm out of habit as he quickly walked off.

 

"You know, Hanzo." Doomfist calmly spoke up, watching the two leave. "I do believe we could see eye to eye." 

 

The elder dragon stilled, though didn't turn to face the man, not reacting to his brother's confused look. His lips were pressed in a thin line as he waited for the other to continue, knowing there would be more.

 

"You should consider joining us. A talent like you and your brother's is wasted on doing oddjobs like these. And your family-" 

 

 

> _"One day you will take care of this home."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Your duty lies with our clan."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"This family is your only responsibility."_

 

 

"We would have little to gain from such an arrangement." Hanzo immediately interrupted as soon as the other spoke of _that_. "No. We will find our own path."

 

And with a definitive tug on Genji's arm he reached for the door.

 

If it wasn't for the sudden explosion behind them he might've actually gotten a hold of the handle.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

The large hangar doors were suddenly ripped apart by something charging in right through the front with some sort of loud battlecry, effectively blowing the Shimadas back and smashing a few of the soldiers right into the front of one of the trucks. Chaos erupted as Hanzo's ears rang, body aching from the impact with the wall that he'd made. So much was happening around him, all his senses were attacked. Get up, his mind yelled at him, survival instincts automatically taking control. He gasped for a breath - and another - and then finally kicked the metal sheet off him. The groan beside him alerted him to Genji's presence and he scrambled to check up on him, stilling for just a second as his eyes scanned over the damage done.

His leg was off.

One of his legs had just been ripped clean off.

"Stay still." He hissed, heartbeat accelerating as he wasn't countered with a witty response. He was still breathing. That was important. Hanzo nearly gave himself a whiplash when he quickly looked over his shoulder to assess the battle that had erupted. Another gigantic man in almost medieval-looking armor was mowing down the soldiers with an equally enormous hammer. For a second he honestly thought he was hallucinating - but then he saw that one girl from Numbani in those ridiculous orange leggings and crocs and the gorilla to top it off. Fantastic. "Stay here. Breathe." He commanded his brother, essentially ordering him to remain alive as he quickly got up to his feet, storm bow a steady weight in his hand.

It was easy to engage in battle, to take down the men that belonged to the one setting him and his brother up in this situation in the first place. Doomfist and Reaper were occupying themselves with those heroes. It was almost fascinating to watch the two parties fight. The way they made their moves and seemed to bother making time for some snarky remarks towards one another showed that they knew and probably already battled each other in the past... Somewhere in the back of his mind Hanzo nearly deliriously thought he was watching some sort of weird sitcom.

The arrival of Talon's backup ripped him from a ludicrous mental image and he was forced to retreat to higher ground, granting himself a better overview of the situation that started looking worse by the minute. This ragged group of self-proclaimed heroes couldn't possibly defeat the small army that threatened to flood the warehouse. Did they even come here with a plan? He felt it was safe to presume the answer was a no.

Before the dragon could fully wrap his mind around the chaos that was happening around him the sight of the black smoke rapidly approaching him demanded his attention - especially when he saw the smoke form and raise its shotguns. Not up to him. To his brother. Genji.

Not Genji.    

 

 

> _"Can I ask you something, Hanzo?"_
> 
> _..._
> 
> _"Why didn't you do it?"_
> 
> _"... Because you are my brother."_

 

 

Perhaps this was the fear he hadn't felt in so long. 

Out of pure instinctual rage Hanzo launched himself at the Reaper, managing to strike him on the side of his head with his bow. Though when he turned to grab him and smash his head into his metal knee his fingers found nothing but smoke slipping away from him only to regain form behind his back.

The shot that followed rang through his entire body and nearly stopped his heart.   

 

 

> _"Kill him."_

 

 

A scorching wave of emotions engulfed him, knuckles turning white as he clenched his bow in his hands and jumped down to truly smash the head off Reaper's shoulders.

Maybe he could've actually killed him if it wasn't for the gigantic metal fist rocketing into him and making a bone-crushing connection to his side. The impact sent him flying into the wall once more, his lungs momentarily incapacitated, eyes impossibly wide as he attempted to gasp for a breath.

 

 

> _It had been sunny all day. Not a cloud in the sky._
> 
> _A perfect day._
> 
> _Too perfect in a lot of ways. Perhaps he should've seen it coming._
> 
>  
> 
> _They wanted to speak with him, they said._
> 
> _About something important._
> 
> _It would have been a perfect day._

 

 

And then there was nothing to do but bask in the pain. In a matter of seconds he'd lost everything. How? He was steady. He made the kills. He was the dragon. They were dragons.

 

They _are_ dragons. 

 

The last thing his eyes registered was the two looming over him. His heart pounding in his ears, his mind racing to think of a way to get out of this place, to go somewhere safe, to get Genji help. He couldn't die. Not here. Not like this. 

 

A familiar voice cut through the white noise in his head.

 

 

" _It's high noon_."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tagged slow burn for a reason... hah
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. 取り戻す // torimodosu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **取り戻す** | **torimodosu**
> 
> I. get back, regain, recover, retrieve
> 
> II. restore, get back to a former condition

_"Are you feeding the cats again?"_

 

_"As far as I know your eyesight hasn't impaired, so why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?"_

 

_"As far as I know you don't have any broken bones, but that could change if you try being clever with me again."_

 

_With a roll of his eyes Genji ignored his brother's empty threat and merely gestured for him to join, continuing to feed the cats bits of fresh tuna from a large piece he'd snatched from the kitchen earlier._

_"Mother told you to stop doing that. They'll only come begging for more."_

_Despite his own words Hanzo still knelt beside the other and silently took the piece of fish Genji pushed in his hand. A cat's appetite was endless, it seems._

_The wind rushed through the cherry blossoms and the petals mindlessly drifted through the air towards the town below._ _One of the cats meowed and lied down, rolling over onto its back._

_Despite the peace there was a storm brewing. Clouds were slowly rolling in from the horizon, moving ever so slowly, peaceful yet merciless at the same time._

_All good things must come to an end sometime._

_Just before Hanzo could speak up again another voice interrupted the quiet moment the brothers shared._

_"Hey!"_

_Both brothers moved indentically as they quickly got to their feet and turned to face their mother, dread settling as they saw the expression on her face._

_"Go."_

_"What?" Genji glanced at his brother in momentary confusion._

_"You heard me. I know you had plans for tonight. Just take the storm you'll get when you come home on the chin."_

_With a small smirk the green dragon gave his brother a quick pat on the back before leaping backwards off the cliff, descending down a to him familiar path as he made his way into town. Even when they had been children Genji had quickly developed a talent for escaping situations he didn't want to be in. Always looking for a quick way out, a way to evade his parents, his teachers, his responsibilities. A true escapist._

_Taking a deep breath, Hanzo steeled himself before taking his eyes off the petals that passed by and approaching his mother with a blank expression. "I was telling him to stop feeding the cats." A weak excuse. But not entirely untrue._

_Instead of the angry reprimand he'd expected his mother silently scanned his face, remaining silent for a good minute before releasing a deep sigh. "Go on inside. You've got work to do."_

_After a murmured apology and a respectful bow of his head he brushed past his mother to head back to his room. Even though he could feel her eyes on him he didn't bother to look back. He knew his covering for Genji was oftentimes seen as a liability... Though everyone knew better than to dare call him a weak link._

_Small droplets of water followed him as the sound of distant thunder cut through the silence._

_The dragon stirred within._

 

\- - - - - - -

 

 

In a flash of clarity his brain was flooded with the memories of what happened and Hanzo's eyes opened wide. For a second he couldn't see a thing. Was this what death felt like...? No, it was far too painless for that. He quickly tried to sit up straight -

And banged his head against the glass cover above him. 

With a loud curse he fell back and rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes for a second and blinking very slowly to adjust to the light in whatever place he was in at the moment before roughly pushing the glass aside and finally sitting upright. A slight wave of nausea washed over him though he managed to suppress it, quickly assessing that he had to be on either a ship or a plane. His eyes quickly took in his surroundings, noticing that it had to be a plane judging from the equipment he could see. He was sitting on what seemed to be some sort of medical pod... But beside some more medical attributes he couldn't see any weapons - let alone his own. 

The image of a stray metal leg on a warehouse flag briefly wandered through his mind.

Genji.

 

"Ah, you're awake." 

 

The stranger's voice startled Hanzo out of the sudden panic that had seized him and out of instinct he slid off the bed and assumed a defensive stance, focusing on the woman in front of him who calmly raised her hands. She seemed... normal enough, he supposed. Blonde hair, blue eyes, white coat on top of a black turtleneck and jeans. A holopad in one hand, the other empty. When she spoke up he noticed her accent. German, or somewhere from that region of Europe.

"Please don't move too fast. You went through significant physical trauma--"

"Where is my brother."

The woman briefly stilled and lowered her hands. For a moment they just stared each other down, measuring one another up. Hanzo most certainly had never seen her before, not even in those old promotion movies or whatever. She on the other hand must have done at least some sort of quick research or heard of his reputation judging from the slightly disapproving look on her face.

"... He's in the next compartment and doing well. Better than you, in fact. His leg is still off and he has a mild concussion but it's nothing to write home about. He's been the most talkative out of everyone on the plane, in fact."

That made Hanzo relax just the slightest bit, though he still looked at the other in distrust. "And you are?"

"My name is Angela Ziegler, a scientist and - most importantly - a doctor. I am also the field medic of Overwatch as it is in it's current state. Now, mister Shimada, if you could please take a seat. I'd like to examine you one more time before letting you meet-"

"I will not let you examine anything until I see my brother with my own eyes." Hanzo interrupted her for a second time, uncaring for the frown that now graced her features. She took off her reading glasses and pushed it in the pocket of her coat before looking down at her holopad and bringing up a few of the x-rays and scans she'd already made of his wounds to show to him. "You were dragged on board with 18 broken ribs, a dislocated spine, a collapsed lung and several internal bleedings. I've treated you to the best of my extent, mister Shimada, but if you won't allow me to see whether or not it's all healed as it should have I will not hesitate to have you cuffed to that bed for the rest of the flight." 

"Are you saying you don't have faith in your own work?"

"I don't doubt my own work. I doubt that the patient might rupture something I meticulously put back together in his own recklessness. I am not a miracle worker, but what I did to save you from certain agony might have come close to one. Now, if you would please sit down before I'll make you."

For a tense minute the doctor and the archer stared off. Hanzo's gaze didn't waver as he eventually decided to slowly sit down on the edge of the bed and allow her to to do her final checkup. A bit of an awkward silence fell as he endured her hands gently prodding his ribcage, refraining from flinching even as she gauged his every reaction. So the heroes had saved the day and picked up the Shimada strays. How convenient for them. What did this mean? Obviously he and Genji were in their debt now. He almost wondered what they'd ask for in return.

"... Alright. Everything seems to be in order." Angela eventually hummed, calmly lowering her stethoscope and looking at him with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, gesturing for him to go through the door. Hanzo wordlessly walked past her and nearly barged into the next part of the plane only to find himself shocked once more by the state of it.

In all honesty it seemed more like a common room than the interior of a plane. There were couches, holotables, something that almost resembled a kitchenette - and was that a basketball hoop?

Before he had the chance to comment on it his eyes finally fell on his brother. Genji seemed to be... talking, and... laughing. With these... these fools. "Hanzo!" The sparrow called for him, attempting to get up but nearly falling over because his leg still wasn't attached. In fact it was lying right there on the table in front of him, along with their weapons. How crude. "It's good to see you're awake, brother. You almost had me worried. You're lucky doctor Ziegler came along on this mission." Another silence fell as Hanzo refused to say anything in response, eyes slowly narrowing as he scanned the others present.

"... Right. Allow me to introduce you to Winston, Tracer, Reinhardt and McCree." Genji continued, spirit as unbreakable as ever while his brother shared some withering eye contact with everyone else. The gorilla cleared his throat before stepping up, pushing his glasses (was he honestly wearing glasses?) back up his nose before addressing the newcomer.

"Genji has already informed me of the situation you both were in before we dropped into the scene. I feel compelled to apologize to both of you. We knew that Talon was planning on retrieving those trucks. We had no idea there would be a third party present there, however. If we did we wouldn't have entered the way we did."

By now Hanzo's silent treatment started to feel a little unnerving. If it wasn't for Angela having heard him open his mouth just before she might've asked him if there was something wrong.

"Uhm. So-"

" _How much did you tell them exactly?_ " Hanzo bit out to Genji in their native tongue. Apparently he'd been expecting something like this, judging from the way he deflated in his seat.

" _Hanzo, please. They saved both our lives, is this really the time to be fretting over that? I told them only what they needed to know._ "

" _Which is half our life's story, probably._ "

" _Don't be like this. Not now._ "

The way Genji suddenly lashed out with his last words even took Hanzo by surprise. He almost took a step back before regaining his composure and glaring fiercely at his equally unafraid brother.

" _Like what, Genji? I'm trying my hardest every day to protect us both and you appear to try and thwart my every attempt at doing that with every single thing that comes in our path. Just because you adore the stories that these fools play a part in doesn't mean you should immediately trust them. Now we are in their debt and who knows what they're going to ask of us._ "

" _You have no right to say such things when you don't even know them. They're not like that. I bet you haven't even thanked doctor Ziegler yet._ "

" _Everyone is like that. You've got half a body left, have you learned nothing?_ "

A fire lit behind Genji's eyes and he was already crawling across the table when suddenly one of the silent bystanders decided that now was the perfect time to intervene.

 

"Now, hold on."

 

Hanzo bristled at the sight of the stranger placing a hand on his brother's shoulder to gently nudge him back into the sofa.

"I take it you both have some... unresolved issues to take care of. And I get that, I do. But you both went through some shit back there already and you should take it easy for now, alright? Don't want you pullin' something that's just been fixed on up." He drawled before turning to eldest Shimada, allowing him to take a better look at what he could only describe as a stereotype western movie cowboy. Perhaps it was fitting to call them heroes with such ridiculous costumes. His nose scrunched at the state of the man's facial hair and clothes. The man altogether just seemed like he could be a poster model for some sort of run-down secondhand store.

"Now since it's technically our fault half his leg came off we offered to screw it back on him. On the base, that is. Where we have the craftsman and the tools for it and such. That sound fair enough to ya?" 

Quietly weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Hanzo looked the man in his eyes with a scrutinizing gaze. Despite everyone in this room looking odd and out of place in their own way, this one seemed... different. There was a sort of nervous air around the rest. But the cowboy seemed quite confident in himself. Judging from the way his hand rested on his hip just above the large revolver he was probably a proud owner of he didn't have a reason to feel unsafe, too. 

"... Just his leg, then. After that we part ways." He finally gave in, causing the rest of the small crowd to relax ever so slightly. "Right on. I'll go back to the cockpit, then! It'll probably be another small hour until we're back. Just give me a shout if you need me!" The young brunette saluted with two fingers before literally blinking away. That british accent sounded almost fake. With a soft huff Hanzo reclined on the very edge of the sofa on the other end of the room after retrieving his Storm Bow, placing it right next to him before crossing his arms and keeping his eyes on the others. Genji wasn't up for much conversation anymore but the other two men continued chatting amicably, leaving Angela to head into the cockpit as well and keep that Tracer company.

Overwatch... Somewhere he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact they were actually in company of these people. He simply couldn't make sense of how they opted to fight for people that rejected them in the past. Why would you even bother to stand up for such an ungrateful crowd? It had been years since Overwatch had officially been deemed unnecessary. Of course peace wouldn't last forever. Innocent people died every day, you can't save everyone. Even the word 'hero' made Hanzo feel wary of this lot. A hero was something fictional. Real people who did good aren't heroes. They are just decent human beings. Perhaps these people were looking to receive the praise they once had. If that was the case Hanzo could do nothing but despise them.

 

\- - - - - - - 

 

Even though he'd been given a fair warning by Genji way before his brother wake up, Jesse hadn't quite been prepared for the kind of figure Hanzo Shimada really turned out to be. And even now just watching him brood across the room he couldn't help but find him a bit of a dick. 

As soon as Talon had fled the site Angela had swept on inside to check on the casualties and noticed the two in the corner, crumpled up against the wall and amidst the rubble. It wasn't hard to recognize them - there were only very few people that listened to the description 'archer with a giant dragon tattoo' and 'half-robot man with green hair'. Their reputation was also pretty well-known. Yet after a small debate Winston had decided to take them along and at least get them back up their feet. Jesse wouldn't lie; he'd disagreed with the plan. These two didn't have any kind of moral code from what he heard (not like he could really say anything 'bout that kinda stuff) and could be more of a danger to them than Winston might've thought. Genji turned out to be surprisingly pleasant to talk to, bein' quite open and honest and all, but that Hanzo... Yeah. He was definitely somethin' else.

"Don't mind my brother. He has always been like that." Ah. He should probably be a little more subtle in his staring.

"Yeah, I reckon." Jesse calmly put his feet up on the table and pushed his hat back on his head, noticing but also ignoring the way Hanzo's nose scrunched up at the sight. The girls probably wouldn't come back here, Winston had turned to the many screens below the cockpit and Rein boastfully started to enlighten Genji on his past conquests.

He had a feeling this was going to be a very long hour in his life.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

Saved by the bell got a whole new meaning when the little 'ding' of the comms system rang through their compartment.

"Good afternoon, luvs! This is your captain speaking. Strap yourselves in, we'll be landing shortly at watchpoint: Gibraltar!" 

An wave of relief washed over the men in the back and the large old guy happily clapped the cowboy on his back. There were only so many tales about his heroic crusader past he could tell Genji before they all started to sound the same and the hostility radiating from the lone archer in the other corner wasn't really encouraging either. 

The landing was nice and smooth ("as always," Tracer happily quipped through the comms before shutting it off) and everyone got to their feet, simultaneously seeming to remember the predicament Genji was in. Jesse opened his mouth to politely ask him if he needed help though before he could actually say the words he was lightly shoved aside. He received a hearty glare from Hanzo before he silently supported his brother in walking out of the ship and getting back on some steady ground. 

"You doing alright, Jesse?" Lena piped up from beside the cowboy, looking at him with a slight smile. 

"Don't you worry your pretty little head 'bout me, darlin'." He murmured in reply, seemingly deep in thought for a moment before letting out a huff and returning her smile, finally stepping off the plane as well. His fingers routinely reached for the metal case in his back pocket and took out a cigar as he silently watched the group head over to the main building. Its tinted windows gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Even in its current run-down state it somehow managed to radiate some sort of former glory. It had felt a little surreal to return here after so many years. Especially with how the others almost looked like they hadn't aged a day... Though when Torb, Rein and Brigitte arrived he'd finally felt some sense of passing time. He oftentimes wondered how Reeha was doing. Making that actual step of searching for contact was a lot harder, however. After all these years, after her mother... 

With a shake of his head Jesse returned himself to the present, exhaling a deep breath of smoke and watching the wisps dissipate into the warm air. He oughta stop reminiscing so much or he might actually start feeling old.

 

\- - - 

 

The spacious room he'd brought his brother to was an odd sort of chaotic mess that also seemed to be organized in a very meticulous and particular way. If he'd have to make a guess it was the engineer's workshop. And he hated it. Though he made sure to carefully conceal his distaste as he slowly lowered himself onto a random chair, gaze gliding over the unfamiliar tools and materials present. They never had anything like this back in Hanamura. Even though they'd been taught various important skills to get through their lives he was relatively sure he wasn't going to be able to fix something as dumb as a sink faucet without having to look it up - and even then he hated following instructions. But he was getting distracted. With a deep breath he looked back at the people that were busy examining his brother's leg, settling in the slightly tense silence.

"... _I want you to apologize_."

Hanzo ripped his eyes off doctor Ziegler and the incredibly small bearded man to look at his brother instead though he didn't speak up yet. He'd been scrutinizing the other two, watching their every move, scrutinizing whatever little thing they did to his brother. He could see them planting some sort of tracker in his new knee. Perhaps they would mess with the wiring and try to take control of his body. He wouldn't put anything past them. Especially not that cowboy.

" _I'm sorry for yelling at you and I would have attempted to strangle you if I had been able to close that distance. There, I went first. You know you shouldn't have said that last sentence, brother. Either you brood over it for the rest of the day or you just get it out of your system here and now_."

When had Genji started to learn to see through him like that? It was... annoying. Hanzo grit his teeth for a second as he refrained from retorting something he'd most likely regret later on and looked away again. For a short moment nothing but the noises from the two working on Genji's leg filled the tense air. The doctor and the engineer seemed well aware of what sort of feud was going on between the brothers despite their not understanding the language. 

"... _I apologize. I shouldn't have said that_." Hanzo caved in at last. He did not want to give his brother too much of a hard time when he was hobbling around with half a leg missing. Even though he knew it technically wasn't his fault he simply couldn't help but feel responsible for what happened to him. No one knew about the soft spot he had for him - though Genji seemed to take advantage of it more often than not. 

" _Tell me something I don't know_."

Alright, that's it. The eldest dragon rolled his eyes and got up from his seat, heading over to the doorway - though pausing with his hand on the door panel to meet the playful spark in Genji's eyes with an exesparated look of his own. "... An average worker bee makes only about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime."

For now the undoubtedly confused looks on the others' faces and the soft chuckle that followed him as he walked out of the room were enough to make him feel a little less worse.

 

\- - -

 

When McCree finally joined the others inside he took the time to get a fresh pot of coffee going. They had to make do with all sorts of old machinery around here, all the original stuff had been unscrewed, removed or just torn from their places when the age of Overwatch had ended. A shame, really. There used to be a rockstar of a coffee machine here. "So we took the dragons to the lion's den. What're we gonna do once that leg's back on?" Jesse calmly asked the rest, who automatically turned to look at Winston for an answer. 

"Well. We'll have to bring them to... whatever destination it is they're heading next. We're only being decent in fixing Genji Shimada's leg. Besides, the UN won't approve of them both staying on these grounds for too long. They still have a very real warrant on them for some... unsavory crimes."

"That last part I couldn't agree with more. But you're basically sayin' that we fix 'em up and let 'em go like that?"

Winston frowned a little at McCree. "What else do you expect from them?"

"Let's not forget that they did help Talon out in getting to those trucks. Not to mention those 'unsavory crimes' you mentioned - are we goin' to let all that slide?"

"I believe they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's our fault that they ended up wounded in the first place. The least we can do is fix that. You heard Genji, they didn't know it was Talon that-"

"And you're gonna believe 'em on their word?"

With a deep sigh Winstone sat down on his chair. Wisdom came with the years that passed but Jesse McCree seemed to have turned into more of a smartass than he already was.

"They'll be gone as soon as we get this over and done with. I don't want them to stay here for any longer than they have to. It's better to prevent getting in trouble than having to fix it later."

"Do not worry. We do not want to overstay our welcome, either."

Everyone present glanced over to the doorway as Hanzo walked into the room, his sour expression speaking volumes. The doctor and the small engineer had informed him that to make sure Genji's leg was on right he'd have to stay for at least another day or two. Genji certainly didn't mind, enjoying the new conversation partners and the presence of the people he so admired. Hanzo personally couldn't wait to leave this place and everything that had happened the night prior behind for good. He did not want to rely on these strangers for anything at all.

"Well you gotta understand that we - or I, at the very least - don't trust you." The cowboy calmly replied, meeting the man's steeled gaze with his own. 

"Are you assuming I trust anyone else beside my brother here?"

"Naw. But speakin' of him, it's almost hard to believe you're really related. At least he makes an effort to be, y'know, grateful or somethin' like that."

"I did not ask to be brought here or to be taken care of."

"Yeah, but we did. We saved your lives. Try and get off your high horse, mister Shimada." Jesse countered without skipping a beat, suppressing the twinge of annoyance he'd felt at the haughty scoff coming from Hanzo. His fingers routinely snipped the end off a new cigar and he lifted his chin to look at the other with an almost smug expression. Like having done what they did back there was something to be proud of.

"Well then." Hanzo grit his teeth and straightened up as well. "I congratulate you on doing the job you're supposed to do. And the only one who belongs on a horse here is you. I will not let a walking cliché like yourself tell me what to say." 

Unable to suppress her amused snort, Lena shrugged at the light glare Jesse threw her way before stepping aside to let Hanzo pass by and head on outside. Winston silently shook his head and Reinhardt silently opted to stay out of Jesse's way for a while, heading into the kitchen to grab a beer.

Despite their differences, in that moment both men could agree on one thing; they couldn't wait for Hanzo to be out of this place.


	4. 逆ギレ // gyaku-gire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **逆ギレ** | **gyaku-gire**
> 
> getting angry in response to someone else's anger.

Jesse McCree was a lot of things. He was kind and patient yet ruthless and efficient at the same time. A man with a keen eye for killing, outlaw turned hero turned vigilante and then turned hero once more, a well-known sweet talker, generous with his compliments - and with his bullets. 

He's met many people in his lifetime already. There were plenty that had left an impression on him, whether that was a good or a bad one didn't really matter. It was easy for him to make someone talk about things they never intended to, getting to know them through simple questions, interactions, little techniques he'd picked up on over the years he'd lived and thrived amidst gangs and organizations alike.

 

But never in his 33 years of being a living, breathing and walking cliché had he ever met an enigma like Hanzo Shimada.

 

By now McCree knew every nook and cranny of the watchpoint but no matter where he looked he never seemed to be able to catch the ex-yakuza. Not in the room he'd been given to stay in during his brother's recovery period, not in the mess hall during the communal breakfast, lunch or dinner, not on the rooftops of the complex he'd seen the man attempt to meditate on in the security camera's footage. It wasn't that he was actively searching for contact per se. He just wanted to keep an eye on this stranger who differed so much from Genji. The younger dragon was rather keen on getting to know the watchpoint and the people in it, growing fascinated with them and their cause. 

"Y'know, I don't wanna offend you in any way, but your brother seems to be a little too big for his britches." The cowboy muttered on the second day of their stay, having just poured both him and Genji a big mug of hot coffee. When Torb or Angie weren't around the younger Shimada seemed to be back on his feet just fine - but he nor the others were gonna rat out on him. His optimistic and energetic attitude seemed to invigorate everyone with something they'd been missing for a while. A certain sort of motivation or hope if you wanted to get sappy. 

"No, I get what you mean." Genji hummed and looked into his mug as he swirled the coffee around. "Forgive him. He's... Well. He doesn't do great in prolonged situations he isn't familiar with. He gets... _what's the word_. Antsy." 

"No kidding." With a dry huff Jesse paused to cool his own down a bit before taking a long sip. "You'll be on the move soon, though. You can't fool Angela for too long and Torb's very confident in his work so he's probably not gonna take your dawdling about for too much longer, either."

"... I know." The uncharacteristically listless response had Jesse glance over at Genji, quirking a brow at him when he met his gaze. There was a turmoil brewing behind those eyes. 

"If you wanna talk... I might not be much of a psychiatrist, but sometimes a listening ear's all you need." He calmly offered to which Genji seemed to relax a little bit. A small smile played around the dragon's lips.

"Thank you, Jesse. I will keep your offer in mind."

Savoring the bitter taste on their tongues, the two basked in each other’s company, allowing themselves this one quiet moment in an otherwise quite hectic life. Reinhardt was yelling for Jesse in the distance, but it seemed like the cowboy was content just leaning against the counter with his new friend. And Genji wasn’t going to complain about it.

A comfortable silence kept them company as they slowly downed their drinks until Lena came along, managing to get Jesse off his break early to help her out in unloading a fresh new shipment of goods. The younger Shimada quietly watched them both walk off for a moment. With a soft sigh he straightened up and finished his coffee, neatly placing the mug in the dishwasher before trotting on outside. Might as well lend a helping hand while he still could.

 

\- - - - - - - 

 

The kitchen had been abandoned for a few hours now. With everyone keeping themselves busy doing whatever they could to get this absolute mess of a place restored to its former glory Hanzo finally deemed it safe enough to make himself a cup of tea and not risk having to confront any of the others. Without disturbing the quiet he padded on over to the counter. A quick search of the cabinets resulted in uncovering a few boxes of earl grey probably belonging to that girl that was always flitting all over the place. Nothing special, but he could make do.

His fingers drummed on the counter, gaze fixated on the little orange light of the boiler. He didn't like this place. Not only were there plenty of rooms with nothing but just appalling layers of dust and other kinds of muck, everything seemed to be out of place and haphazardly put together in an attempt to appear somewhat organized. Which was laughable to say the least. The gorilla that was supposed to be the leader never quite seemed to have his things in order except for knowing exactly how many jars of peanut butter he consumed every day and how many were still in stock. How in the world were these people actually managing to pull of stunts like they'd performed in Numbani?

With a light shake of his head Hanzo reached for a mug to manually wash off (just to be sure) before pouring the water and slowly lowering the bag into it, watching the leaves do their work while also quickly consuming a cracker. Numbani... His brow furrowed he remembered the last thing he'd heard before he passed out. The same words that had been followed by loud gunshots from that ridiculous revolver. Six perfect headshots.

Somehow knowing that it had been the cowboy pulling that off was immensely irritating. 

"Looks like the dragon finally decided to crawl out of the shadows."

Think of the devil and he doth appear.

"Should you not be outside working or smoking?" Hanzo calmly sipped his tea and refused to turn and face McCree, stubbornly staring out the window instead.

"I'm tryin' to cut back on both. And when I noticed the elusive Hanzo Shimada out of his natural habitat I figured I'd try and sneak up on you before you're gonna disappear again." Jesse hummed, looking at the back of the other's head as he strolled up to the table and reached in the fruit basket Angie had placed on there, grabbing an apple and polishing it on his sleeve. After helping Lena out she and Genji had gone over to another hangar since Genji seemed to be quite interested in her enthusiasm for the aircrafts they had (and were still in working shape). It was easy to get her hyped up but she could turn into a downright bouncy ball if you mentioned planes around her. 

"It is impossible for anyone to sneak up on me. Let alone you with those spurs of yours." 

Jesse's calm smile drooped at the audible distaste in Hanzo's voice. "... Man. You really are sour as all get out."

"I am not here for anything else than my brother's recovery. I might owe my life to you lot but I will not waste my time attempting to create some sort of friendship with any one of you. I will not be here for any longer than I have to be."

The archer finished his tea and finally turned around, giving McCree a once-over. He seemed to have taken his serape and armor off, also having exchanged the brown shirt he wore underneath for a plaid one. The new ensemble made him look a little less like a dumb cowboy and more like some sort of country bumpkin. His own jawline almost started to itch when he saw the state McCree's was in - but he merely met the man's warm brown eyes with a cold glare, expecting some sort of drawled retort.

For a moment the two stared off. McCree's eyes narrowed - though when the response he was waiting for didn't come Hanzo did not bother to stick around. With a roll of his eyes and a scoff he finally left the kitchen to go skulk around somewhere else, leaving Jesse to stare after him. "... Shit." His hands briefly pat his chest and back pocket in search of his cigar case before remembering his own words and letting out a more colorful curse. It wasn't easy to make him start to hate someone but Hanzo Shimada somehow seemed to be able to drag out the worst in him.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

 After having spent most of the day with Tracer, Genji had been briefly taken apart by Angela for a final checkup. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't prevent the inevitable conclusion of his leg working just as intended - and judging from the knowing look the kind doctor gave him as she put her stuff away she'd probably known he'd been stalling all along. He wouldn't put it past her; she was a very intelligent woman. And he couldn't pretend like Torbjörn's work wasn't top-notch, either. 

How odd... for most of his life the people he'd called 'friends' had been ones that were mostly just eager to tell others that they knew Genji Shimada. Sure, there had been a few that had at least seemed genuinely interested in him for not just the power or the money he had, but now that he was older he could look back and see that not everything was as pretty as he'd been telling himself before. Especially now. Perhaps his ideas of friendship had been a little warped because of his past... But he felt like these people here, these heroes... He could call these people his friends. Even if they didn't know him that well and vice versa - the way they have been treating him so far spoke of nothing but a kindness and generosity associated with friendship.

Slowly opening his eyes, Genji watched the orange light of the sunset reflect on the waves below. The ocean wafted a salty scent over the compound, the lighthouse in the distance steadily doing its work, providing a beacon of light for the lost. How fitting. 

He didn't react to the barely noticeable footsteps approaching him, being well aware of the other's presence.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"You seem eager enough to do so."

Even turned away from his brother Genji could picture the way his brother rolled his eyes at his back.

"We do not belong here, Genji. And I have indulged you long enough. It is time."

A few seagulls cried as they passed by. His eyes followed them, a tinge of something awfully sad going through him. Of course it was time. He couldn't stay here forever.

They'd had plenty of arguments in the past about this. Genji always felt like he wasn't made to be some sort of nomad running around the world, fleeing from his problems. But Hanzo was always there to remind him that they had no other choice, this was the way things were now. They'd chosen for this the moment they decided to leave their home behind. And even though he'd never liked it anyway having to abandon everything you know has an impact on someone. And oftentimes he even felt like that impact had been far greater on his brother.

He was not the man he once was.

 

 

 

> _"Thanks for covering for me back there."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Hm."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Did mom give you a hard time?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Mhm."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Aw, don't be like that. Here, I got you some of that gyokuro tea that you like."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"...... You can't keep bribing yourself out of harm's way, you know."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Can't someone just buy something nice for their favorite brother?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _"I am your only brother."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Exactly! All the more reason to be on good terms with you."_
> 
>  
> 
> _..._
> 
>  
> 
> _"... You can sleep on my sofa tonight. But tomorrow you're going to talk to our mother whether you like it or not."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Anija! I knew you had a few nice bones in your body!"_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Ugh. Go take a shower. You reek of alcohol."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"I love you too."_

 

Genji absentmindedly picked at a scab on his left arm before being pulled back into the present by Hanzo clearing his throat. With a huff the younger one glanced over his shoulder to give him a nod.

"... Very well."

After a languid stretch he got back up on his feet to follow Hanzo back inside to go and gather their stuff. He occasionally glanced over to his brother, seeing the rigid way he went around the room they'd shared and tossing everything he deemed useful for the next step in their journey in a simple bag, in every movement he could see Hanzo's discomfort. It was almost awkward to watch. Sure, Hanzo had never been a very social type of guy, but he could be if he had to. As far as Genji knew he'd never even bothered to thank Angela or Winston or even anyone else for their rescue. 

It seemed like as time passed Hanzo only sheltered himself from everything else around him even more than he ever did before. It was unhealthy, and even Genji knew that if he kept this up it could become a dangerous and self-destructive way of living. He'd known it for a long time. It was the main reason he stuck by his brother's side, why he occasionally said stupid shit on purpose just to rouse Hanzo from his downwards spiral. 

But he couldn't keep doing that forever. As long as Hanzo didn't work on himself it wouldn't have any use. His brother was more than just stubborn.

 

Lagging behind Hanzo as they headed on outside, Genji faced the rest in the main hall to say goodbye. He thanked Angela, Torbjörn and Brigitte one more time for putting his leg back where it belonged. Reinhardt for the stories and the few beers they'd shared. Winston for even deciding to help them out in the first place, Tracer for her helping him get up on his feet and showing him around, and McCree for just being there and talking to him. They had all shown him so much in the short time he'd stayed here.

They followed him outside, standing atop the metal stairs as they watched the duo leave. And when Genji looked back over his shoulder one last time he saw them all there in the light of the sunset. Even without their full getup they looked like heroes. They carried themselves with pride.

Genji's pace slowed and he came to a halt, hands clenching into fists.

"What are you doing?"

With a deep frown the older dragon stood still, waiting for his brother to join him. An odd sense of dread came over him when Genji didn't react. His arm started to itch.

"We are leaving, Genji."

 

"I'm not."

 

He must have misheard.

 

"... What?"

 

"I am not leaving."

 

Hanzo watched in confusion as the other took a deep breath and looked back at him with a determined expression.

What was he talking about?

He couldn't seriously be considering remaining here? What a laughable idea.

"We have been running from our problems for more than five years. I know you do not see these people in the way I do - but now more than ever I realize that I am done running away, Hanzo."

"Are you telling me you want to stay with them? And do what, fight? For who? Why do you think they were shut down in the first place?"

"Yes, I do. They were shut down because the people decided they did not need Overwatch anymore. But I believe that they are needed now more than ever. Conflict is brewing all over the world and we cannot avoid it forever. So I want to do what is right."

"And you honestly believe that risking your life for the greater good is the right thing to do?"

"I believe that risking my life for the innocent people that cannot fight and to protect this world as we know it is an honorable cause, yes."

The way Genji calmly reflected every single one of his retorts angered Hanzo more than he thought. Honorable? _Honorable_?

"What do _you_ know of honor?"

"Apparently more than you, brother." 

In the blink of an eye the distance between the two had been closed. Hanzo glared fiercely at his brother, teeth bared in an almost animalistic show of agression. He did not notice the cowboy stepping up to put a stop to this nor the hands of the others grabbing a hold of him to stop him from doing so.

" _You think you are moving on but you are only going backwards if you keep going down the road you want to go, Hanzo. I want to make a change, both in my own life and in the world. And I can't do that if I keep following you_." Genji spoke in their native tongue as he met his brother's furious gaze with his own unwavering one, refusing to back down this time. His voice lilted in frustration and anger as he continued to speak some words he’d been wanting to say for a long time now. " _And right here, right now, I'm asking you to try and make a change as well. You're destroying yourself. I can help, everyone here can help. You just need to let go of your pride and let them_."

"... _My pride?_ " Hanzo echoed his brother's words with a voice that was surprisingly empty. There was still a fight inside of him, Genji could see it. But something else was brewing there. " _You might think you know much, Genji. But you have no idea what goes on inside of my mind_." He slowly stepped back and glanced at the group behind his brother. They were still watching them like they were putting up some sort of performance. The concern written on their faces was ridiculous. As if they knew enough about Genji to care about him. They knew nothing. 

"I do not believe that the path you want to go down is the right one. You seem to have made up your mind for once, however. It is time for us to part our ways." Hanzo declared in English, watching his brother's eyes widen ever so slightly. "Hanzo. Don't—"

"You are old and wise enough to make your own decisions. I obviously cannot change the way you perceive Overwatch to be - nor do I really want to, if I am honest. Why you decided to stick around me for so long if you have been mulling over thoughts like those I do not understand. But if this is what you want to do I will not stop you." 

 

For a moment only a stunned silence filled the air. Everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath, not daring to interfere and invoke the wrath of either of them.

 

That look in Genji's eyes was something Hanzo only seen once before. 

 

A look of utter betrayal.

 

"... _Farewell, brother_."

 

The elder dragon turned his back to the rest and steadfastly walked down towards the exit of the compound. His footsteps were rather even for the storm he felt brewing inside. His mind told him that this was wrong, this wasn’t the way things were supposed to go.

 

They’d made a promise.

 

"Hanzo!"

 

His hand on the cool metal of the gate, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. It was empty, abandoned. 

His stride wavered for just a second.

 

" _Hanzo!!_ "

 

No. Hanzo Shimada does not falter. 

 

He finds his own path. 

 

If this is the way Genji wants to live his life, so be it. He could not spend the rest of his life protecting him from his own stupidity. Yes... perhaps this had been inevitable from the very beginning. 

 

Fate had tried to tear them apart since their birth after all.

 

The last rays of the sun slipped behind the horizon. A seagull flew overhead, leading the way into the dark of the night. 

 

 

 

 

 

> _ "We can go wherever we want." _
> 
>  
> 
> _ "We will survive." _
> 
>  
> 
> _ "As long as we stick together." _
> 
>  
> 
> _ "Together." _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> test weeks are coming up, I'll be busy with school, I'll probably update irregularly.
> 
> next chapter will be hanzo centric, mchanzos return later on.
> 
> let me know what u think, I always read all comments !


	5. 孤独 // kodoku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **孤独** | **kodoku** (n)
> 
> I. loneliness, solitude
> 
> II. desolation

 

When a man begins to reason, he ceases to feel.

 

For what it's worth, Hanzo had always enjoyed using proverbs ever since he was just a child. Back then he believed it was impressive. That it was some sort of show of wisdom. He remembered when he started to have to join his father in certain meetings, men that all looked the same coming by, passing through the castle day in and out. Pinstripe suits, perfectly tied ties, black hair and piercing eyes. They almost seemed to find it endearing, the way he attempted to be one of them from the very beginning. The exact and extreme opposite of his little brother who watched from the sideline until he grew bored from it.

For a long time it was easier to shift he blame and tell himself that the way they parted was all Genji's fault. When had he not been good to him? He'd always helped him out. He couldn't keep count of the times he'd stuck his neck out for him. Always taking care of him, always making sure he was alright. While Genji went off to attempt to live the life he wanted to and completely disregard the family's and Hanzo's wishes he still thought that one day he'd just see the mistakes he was making and somehow miraculously decide to do what was right and join the rank in which he belonged in the Shimada hierarchy. You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it means to stand in the sunlight. And Genji had always avoided the shadows in life, pretending they weren't there. 

 

After a few months of repeating the same name, insults and what-if scenarios in your head you start to get sick of it.

 

So Hanzo drank.

 

A lot.

 

The buzz the alcohol delivered supplied a strange sort of calm in his head. Bottle after bottle, staying in the shittiest motel and hotel in every part of the world and making the same pathetic rounds to whatever convenience store was near. Only his automatic instinct to stay on the move made him still willing to travel. If he didn't have that he might as well have stayed in Spain and let all of the empty bottles accumulate. The mental image of a bunch of mercenaries just walking in on him passed out or dead amidst a pile of shameful remains was almost enough to make him laugh. And that alone spoke volumes about his mental state. 

It was pathetic, the way he handled this. He knew it was. Part of him knew he was embarrassing himself. But the other part didn't care. And that part happened to be a lot bigger at the moment.

 

\- - - 

 

Thankfully time passed and spring came and went, followed by a sweltering summer, and he greeted autumn with a clear and most importantly sober mind. Whatever money he had left inevitably ran out. On one hand he was grateful that he couldn't keep dragging himself down even more - but on the other hand there was the crippling realization of what kind of uphill battle with himself he was going to have to face from now on.

Blaming Genji had been easy. Looking the truth in the eyes every morning in whatever grimy bathroom he was in had been a personal hell. And now he was going to have to readjust to the life of a lone wolf once more. He'd grown used to it before they abandoned their home, adapting to not relying on his brother for help. But as the years had passed he'd grown used to his Genji's company and efficiency in whatever jobs they took on. Despite everything else he preferred doing over his tasks as a member of the clan Genji had still completed his training and could be the ruthless killer he was always destined to be. That had also rubbed Hanzo in a wrong way. Seeing what his brother could do and knowing what they had left behind.

 

To think that the silence he used to prefer once could now be so deafening...

Perhaps it was only fitting he could not derive any enjoyment from the things he used to like now.

Hanzo started to view his solitude as a way of punishment. For what, he was not entirely sure yet.

But he figured he would find out as time passed. 

 

It was warm for this time of the year. After leaving the Americas behind he had opted to travel Europe for a while. He'd always taken an odd liking to the continent, finding it to be just the right amount of old and new intertwined. From the picturesque countryside to the modernized larger cities; they all possessed a sort of character he could not find in the United States. And it held a completely different aesthetic from Japan's older villages. 

In Budapest alone there was some marvelous ancient architecture. Even though he was only present in the city for a job Hanzo could not resist indulging himself in visiting the world heritage sites and searching out some of the exceptional buildings he'd found on some list online. There was something about the mystery of the ages that have passed that attracted him. How simple people worked for years on end to finish such a magnificent structure, their beliefs and ideals intertwined with their work. How meticulous and painstaking it all must have been.

He weaved through murmuring crowds and busy streets. The street food wasn't bad nor all too expensive. The city made it easy for him to waste his time until nightfall. When most people had retreated into their homes, sharing their evening meals, spending the last of the day huddled together in their homes, Hanzo Shimada snuck through the darkest alleyways of the city to rendezvous with his client. The darkest corners of any city were usually right in the center of it and these alleys were no exception. It wasn't unusual to meet his clients in repugnant nooks or crannies like these.

What was unusual however was his clients not showing up on time. And not arriving within the next two minutes. He had a reputation and a very clear set of rules. Being punctual was one of them. The most logical conclusion to make in situations like this one was that either something went wrong or he was being set up - and he was not a man that liked to take risks. 

Hanzo calmly shouldered his bow and took in his surroundings. Silence, which he was grateful for. No footsteps approaching him, no one nervously calling out his name. He recalled the person he spoke with on the phone speaking with confidence, having a clear description of the job he was offering. Not a first-timer. He was in a foreign city where he didn't know anyone and where he had no safehouse or helpful connections. It didn't take him long to decide to leave this place and get out of the country as soon as possible. 

The archer calmly and quietly made his way through the back-alley maze, hating that he didn't have the high ground in the moment. There were a few fire escape ladders around, he could easily climb up to a roof... But he did not want to attract any unnecessary attention to himself.

 

He supposed in a way he was lucky that he didn't make the first move, then. 

 

The shuriken that whizzed past his head as he ducked away bore into the wall next to him. With a soft cuss he pulled one of them out. For a second his heart wrung - But it wasn't one of... _his_.

Good.

Hanzo took a deep breath and steeled himself. Now was not the time to get distracted.

He easily scaled the side of one of the buildings, glancing back over his shoulder to spot at least seven people coming after him. Judging from their attire wouldn't have to guess where they came from. To think that the people he once knew and considered his friends would come to hunt him down and attempt to take his life... How far could one sink before they would reach rock bottom?

After gracefully jumping the distance between the rooftop he was on and the next he calmly nocked an arrow, stopping at the edge to launch it straight into the forehead of one of his pursuers before dropping down onto the fire escape and quickly descending down to the ground again. A back entrance to some sort of club opened, loud music spilling into the alleyway and washing over him as he ducked into the building. The amalgam of people seemed like nothing but a blur around him. The smell of sweat, alcohol and too many kinds of perfumes and other body sprays invaded his nostrils. All things considered he was thankful for not even having desired a similar lifestyle like his brother was trying to have back then. There was nothing appealing to this sort of mess whatsoever. 

When he slipped back out into the main street he immediately crossed it, running quickly and quietly to get out of the way of the civilians. He didn't want to create unnecessary casualties of innocent civilians. The Matthias church's white bell tower loomed in the distance. 

Perfect.

 

The six ninjas reached the square only slightly out of breath, immediately scouring their surroundings for a glimpse of their target. They knew what was waiting for them at home if they weren't able to finish their task. It was either Hanzo Shimada's life or theirs. A cruel but very effective policy. Becoming part of the clan wasn't easy and once you were in you're practically pledged for life.

 

" _Where did he go?_ "

 

Hanzo's impeccable hearing picked up on some hushed and frantic whispering. His focus was completely on the handful of people, his hands moved automatically to nock a couple of arrows. He'd been honing his skills with more practice and precision than anyone left back there could have. He'd been ridiculed for his determination by his brother and his friends, to his masters he had never been good enough. But if his solitude and his survival had taught him one thing it was that he knew he was and would forever be a warrior without peer. And he would prove himself worthy of that title with every single challenge thrown at him.

 

" _He must be on high ground._ "

 

" _Find some cover. That bastard's going to pick us off like clay pigeons_."

 

" _Check the roof of the church. Make sure_ \--"

 

A single arrow through the throat proved to be enough to shut whoever was speaking up.

 

Hanzo almost felt a sort of amusement watching the remaining five scatter to get to cover. One, two, three more arrows flew before the last two found a safe spot. He counted down the dull sounds of his arrows striking his enemies without fail. "Target practice." He huffed. It had been a while since any Shimada assassins had come after him but he hadn't expected them to send their worst this time around. There was some audible cursing coming from down below as he took out one of his sonic arrows, easily revealing their silhouettes. Hanzo knew he was holding the cards here. And he was patient. He could wait for them to come out. They couldn't take forever. At sunrise the city would wake up again and discover this situation and the corpses he'd already created would cost these two more than it would him.

 

Five minutes passed.

 

There was some inaudible, frantic chatter.

 

Ten more minutes.

 

" _Why don't you come down from there and fight like a man_?"

 

... Hm. A cheap attempt at getting him out of his spot. Should he take the bait? He was just thinking about how low he could go, though. He still had some pride left in him.

 

" _I didn't know Hanzo Shimada has turned into a coward_!"

 

Ah, a rather personal quip. 

 

He disliked that.

 

With a deep sigh he placed his arrow back in his quiver and shouldered his bow before slowly climbing back down. It seemed like the other two were honorable enough to come out of their hiding spot, as well. Hanzo's steps were calm, collected and even as he strode up to them. He might have been disowned. His assailants must think of him as nothing more but some dirt at their feet. But his pride was all he had left now... and no one could take that from him.

Judging from the movement of the facial muscles from the small portion of face revealed of the one of the left he was about to speak up. As if Hanzo would give him the chance. He smacked his palm into the man's nose, grabbing his arm to throw him into the other one - who had to be a female, judging from her form. She reacted quickly by pushing her accomplice off and kicking Hanzo in his knee. She swiftly pulled out a knife and snatched him by his ponytail though he reacted quickly by seizing her wrist and elbow, throwing her back to the floor and breaking her arm before kicking the guy in the stomach to send him flying back a few meters. That gave him enough time to break her neck.

" _Fuck-- you bastard_." The dragon's eyes gleamed as he slowly approached his final victim, watching him struggle and crawl back on his elbows.

Pathetic.

"Your performance makes you a disgrace to the Shimada clan." 

" _You're one to talk, Hanzo._ " The ninja spat at him as a sort of anger-induced frenzy laced his voice and eyes. There was no fear in his gaze... That was somewhat commendable on his part. " _You can't run forever._ "

"Maybe so." Not even bothering to crouch to his level, Hanzo placed his foot on the man's throat, ignoring his garbling and clawing at his leg. "But if I ever stop, you will not be around to see it." 

Only after the life hard drained out of the stranger's eyes did he bother to pull off his mask. His voice had seemed a little familiar and Hanzo did indeed recognize him from when he was still a young man in training. He'd showed more potential back then than he had now. What a pity. He slowly pulled down his top to check his right shoulder, a snarl curling his lips at the tattoo visible there.

 

 

> _"Our clan was founded centuries ago, Hanzo. You know by now what our sigil stands for, yes?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Of course, father. The two dragon brothers, forever circling one another."_
> 
>  
> 
> _"Indeed. How do you think this legend is so important to our clan?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _"... Because... It symbolizes the importance of family?"_
> 
>  
> 
> _He didn't remember much of their surroundings that day. But the rueful little smile on his father's face was one he somehow could never forget._
> 
>  
> 
> _"Hanzo. You and your brother are equals in almost every way. The one thing he cannot be is my legacy._
> 
> _One day you will carry on our traditions and our rule in my stead when the time is right._
> 
> _No matter what choices you will make, what kind of paths you choose to pursue... You are a Shimada. You always will be._
> 
> _And you will do what you must to keep our legend alive."_

 

 

That seal would haunt him forever.

 

After recollecting his arrows from the bodies by the church Hanzo noticed the sky starting to brighten. That was his cue to leave. So he made his way back to his hotel, packed his stuff, and caught the first flight out of the city before the ruckus would catch up to him. He'd always wanted to go back to Italy sometime. He had some of the best coffee in his life over there.

Up in the air, seated comfortably in his first-class chair and looking down at the clouds below, Hanzo Shimada convinced himself that he had made peace with this life. Running away had always been one of his strong points. So why would he quit while he was ahead? Yes, he told himself, this is the way things were meant to be. His hand clutched the glass of second-rate wodka a little tighter and he worked his jaw to relieve the pressure in his ears.

This was his destiny. He no longer considered it to be pitiful. He was supposed to be alone. 

Even his father had known long before Hanzo had realized himself.

 

\- - - - - - - 

 

Venice hadn't changed at all from the last time he'd seen it. Still incredibly beautiful, incredibly busy and incredibly overpriced. That being said, the artwork, city planning and architecture were, well. Incredible. It didn't take Hanzo all that long to find a couple of jobs in and around town. Nothing too lucrative but enough to provide him with plenty of credits to be able to afford a decent hotel room and a good dinner at a michelin-star restaurant. Italian food definitely wasn't his favorite but he did like the long pastas simply because they reminded him of noodles. 

It was a dumb combination of nostalgia leftover from his encounter earlier this week and the memory of his father that had sprung to his mind. He despised the way his brain worked like that and was fairly certain it wasn't supposed to actually bring the memories he pushed away the most at the worst possible times. He reasoned that it had to be another form of punishment coming from the universe. And he was honestly too tired to get angry or mope about it. Especially when he had not bothered to have a proper meal in about three days and there was a full plate of real authentic spaghetti bolognese right in front of his nose. Just the sight of the delicate parmesan shavings placed in the dish strategically and with extreme care were enough to make his eyes water a little (though it was most likely from just staring at it without blinking for at least a full minute before he finally picked up his fork).

Any random bystander could find it pathetic to see such an oddly dressed man sitting all by his lonesome in such an expensive, high-class restaurant. He did not exactly look like he could afford even the cheapest bottle of wine they had on their menu nor was his attire very appropriate - but another thing Hanzo excelled at was completely ignoring everything happening in his surroundings when he wished to do so. 

Which was probably why he didn't bother to notice the footsteps heading his way, mind chalking it up to be a waiter... But when the man took a seat in the empty chair across from him Hanzo went rigid. 

It wasn't even necessarily because someone blatantly sat at _his_ table. Of course that would have enraged him in any other situation. Though right now it was only because of the man now looking at him with an unreadable expression.

 

"... Akande Ogundimu. I see you have left half of your title at home."

 

Hanzo uttered after languidly placing his fork down and wiping his mouth with a napkin. Doomfist hadn't changed since their last encounter... Not his face, at least. His gigantic metal arm was missing and he was wearing a rather expensive and nice-looking white tuxedo. But despite all that the aura he exumed was nothing but a powerful confidence and an oddly non-violent attitude.

Something was off here.

 

"Hanzo Shimada. I see your brother is not with you... for once."

 

Alright. So that was how he was planning on handling things.

 

"If you want to finish what you started I would rather we take this outside." Hanzo bit out, more frustrated that he would have to abandon his food than he'd have to face this man in battle again. He would absolutely love to make him pay for what he did in that warehouse.

"Please, mister Shimada. If I wanted to fight I would have brought my weapons with me. I am here to have a civilized conversation." The sophisticated air Akande suddenly decided to communicate with almost threw Hanzo off. What did end up surprising him was the small suitcase the other placed on his side of the table, opening it to reveal several large stacks of money. "I believe that in the scuffle you didn't even take what was rightfully yours. You earned it for a job well done."

The dragon straightened up in his chair, eyeing Doomfist's expression and the money until he closed the suitcase again. He had so many questions. Why give him the money now? Was he setting him up? This could all be an elaborate trap. Or worse, some sort of horrible joke.

"... You have tracked me down just to give me this?"

"No. I have not been tracking you. I was, however, informed that you were present in the city and I thought I'd give you a warm welcome, so to speak."

"Forgive me for doubting you. But the last time I saw you, you slammed me into a wall and nearly killed me. I cannot say I am very enthusiastic in accepting any of your offers ever again."

Akande let out a short laugh, confusing Hanzo a little bit but not enough to let his guard down. "I do apologize for that. In all honesty I believed you had led Overwatch to that place... But when I found out you did not, I did regret the way I handled things with you." Lacing his fingers together, the man leaned forward on the table and took on a more serious tone. "This money is yours. You can have it."

"And you truly do not wish for anything in return?"

"No." His dark brown eyes bore straight into Hanzo's as he continued speaking. "You are an intelligent man, a capable fighter and a very skilled sniper. This," he patted on the suitcase to accentuate his words, "is all yours without question. But!" A smirk curled his full lips as he leaned back again. "I do have another proposition for you, mister Shimada. You see, we need people like you in our organization-"

"You might be able to recall that I have already told you that I am not interested in joining."

"You have. But things were different back then. Right now? You are alone. You have nothing but the bow and arrow on your back and this money right here. I could change that. Talong could change everything for you. We can give you back the empire that is rightfully yours. The power, the riches, the people at your feet. Everything that you let go for the one man that isn't even by your side anymore."

Hanzo had stilled completely by the his last sentence, his mind racing as he processed everything said.

"We have so much to offer, Hanzo. This amount of money is just a start. Over in South America we have a small job that you can do for us. Something simple, nothing too dangerous, and you will receive another one of these suitcases in return for your services. And after that, well... You're free to choose whatever you want to."

There was something changing in Hanzo's mind, Akande could see it brewing in his eyes. A seed of doubt had been planted. His once so unwavering stance made unstable by the leave of his brother.

And he intended to make full use of that.

"We have everything you need to give you the life that you want, Hanzo."

"You cannot possibly know what I want."

The snappy retort was not something he'd been expecting... But Doomfist didn't care all that much. He sighed through his nose before taking out a small business card from a metal case in his inner pocket, neatly placing it right on top of the case.

"Think about it at the very least."  

As his footsteps faded away Hanzo's hands slowly pushed his plate away to pull the case in closer. His appetite was long gone. But the money was here. And it was all his. Talk about his past haunting him... This was the last thing he'd expected to happen in Venice out of all places.

His fingers delicately turned the cream-colored card over, staring at the golden phone number for a moment. He would never even consider doing this out of fear for _him_ getting hurt either physically or mentally. Talon was an extremist organization. Their practices were dangerous and oftentimes did more harm than good in Hanzo's eyes.

But.

This amount of money being doubled would bring a lot of opportunities to light. This world revolved around money. Without it Talon could not even fight this war of chaos they were bringing to the world. 

 

Maybe he was experiencing a temporary weakness to Doomfist’s influence because of his memories toying with him. 

 

Maybe it was the resentment towards his brother that had him glance over his shoulder towards the exit that he’d just walked through.

 

Or maybe it was simply the hunger of having some sort of purpose in his life again.

 

Whatever it was, he numbly took out some bills from the case and left them on the table along with a half-eaten plate of spaghetti and a full bottle of wine, reaching Akande just before he could get into his car.

For a tense moment the two men faced off. Both powerful in their own ways, both fighters from a young age. They might have more in common than Hanzo thought.

 

"What will I have to do?"

 

Akande's face broke into what seemed to be a genuine smile and he held the car door open as he gestured for Hanzo to get in. The archer finally broke eye contact as he followed his silent instruction, feeling the car sink a little as the other got in beside him and closed the door with a definitive slam. 

 

"You will not regret this decision, mister Shimada."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha i love pretending like i have my life together
> 
> its 3am and this took so long to write but hey! its here!
> 
> We got to 400 hits and that makes me happier than it should.
> 
> thank you guys for all the comments on the last chapter. Seriously, they kept me going. <3
> 
> Let me know what u guys think of this one!! I'm pretty excited to show you what way this will be going next.


	6. 裏切り // uragiri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **裏切り** | **uragiri** (n)
> 
> betrayal; treachery

 

Rio de Janeiro was a city unlike any Hanzo had ever seen.

 

He'd been to and through a lot of them, too. But never had he gone further south in the Americas than Mexico. Whatever he had seen on the news and what he'd heard from other travelers like him had made him feel like there were plenty of other places in the world that were a lot less... unorganized, shall we say. But being in the city he'd been avoiding right here and now? It completely smashed the expectations he had of it. The photos he'd seen online had mostly showed off the enormous hotel complexes by the coast and the more modern part of the city, complete with brand new hard-light constructions. But that wasn't the part where he was supposed to be for this job. No, he needed to be on the other side. The one the pretty pictures didn't often show.

 

 

The favelas.

 

Yes, there was a bit of chaos. Yes, it wasn't as clean and well-kept as the part he just came out of. But there was a certain beauty to the places where the local authorities hadn't been involving themselves with. There was a strong presence of the local community, everyone seemed to know one another, and even Hanzo found himself to be greeted like a friend by almost anyone he encountered. How odd that such a large part of this immense city could be in a state of organized disarray and still seem to function just fine. 

But then there were the structures that stood out. Cool, clean, and devoid of the colors the rest of the favelas were happily decorated with. 

It seemed like Vishkar had gotten quite busy after acquiring that contract they'd so desired.

Hanzo had done his homework before coming to town, having read through its recent history and finding the way the company had wormed itself into Rio de Janeiro sketchy to say the least. 

Thankfully this corporation wasn't his reason for being here. 

 

\- - -

 

_The many lights of Venice's streets and the cars that flashed on by illuminated Akande's face, accentuating his stern features as he spoke._

_"Have you ever been to Brazil, mister Shimada?"_

_"I have not."_

_"That is where you will be going. To Rio de Janeiro."_

_Rio? Hanzo's mind raced to think of anything important that had occured there. Some company wanting to redesign the city, that one musician that did something..._

_"... I have a very superficial knowledge of the city."_

_"Then I suggest you read up on it a little more thoroughly."_

_"What exactly does this 'small job' you're offering me entail, then?"_

_Dark eyes briefly flickered over to him. Calculating in silence, estimating how much he could say._

_"It is essentially nothing more than running a simple errand. Although I suspect you'd hate to be caught off guard in a place you don't know."_

_"I have a hard time believing you would want someone like me with my particular set of skills to so desperately join you just to 'run a simple errand'."_

_Now Akande smiled ever so slightly - although the look in his eyes did not change. There was a coldness to it, too. A professional sort of distance._

_"Like I said, this is something simple. I don't see the use in throwing you headfirst into a life threatening mission when you are not a full-time agent of ours."_

_Hanzo cautiously settled into his seat, crossing his arms as he turned his gaze outside._

_By now the sun had set. The sky was a beautiful gradient of blue hues and a hint of peach at the horizon. The city and its people were starting to hunker down and prepare for a good night's rest._

_Somehow it all seemed... not ominous enough._

_"When and where exactly will I need to be?"_

_The car came to a halt outside of the hotel Hanzo was staying at. Akande calmly gestured for Hanzo to get out and followed his lead, facing him right outside the entrance._

_"Everything will be explained soon. For now all you need to do is rest, enjoy the money you have earned. We'll be in touch."_

_Hanzo had watched the man get back into his car and drive off until he was out of sight. He did not like how easily he'd gone along with Doomfist's plan, how he had even gotten into that car without barely even hesitating. They must have been following him to some degree if they were already aware of what hotel he was staying at._

_Was he growing careless?_

_Perhaps it was just the lack of sleep._

_And he'd never gotten to finish his dinner, either._

_Damn._

_With a frustrated scoff he turned and went inside, returning to his room with the small suitcase firmly clutched in his hand. For a moment he stilled and looked around the room. Then he proceeded to gather his belonging and head back to the lobby to check out before seeking and finding a much better hotel. His new bed was plush, sheets crisp, a fresh plate of pasta and a new bottle of wine soon delivered to his room._

_He ate, he drank, and then he finally allowed himself to get his rest._

 

\- - -

 

The morning after that Hanzo had been woken up by a bellboy delivering a package to him, breaking the illusion that last night had all been just some sort of dream. He was handed a small box that contained a secure plastic case in which some sort of external hard drive resided, which was now safe in his pocket. That was his errand.

And somewhere in this city was a man he had to deliver it to.

Two months had passed since his meeting with Akande Ogundimu. Hanzo did not quite understand why there had been such a large gap between their encounter and this job - but he was not about to question the man on it. He was not part of their organization. He doubted he would be told anything but the bare minimum. And he was rather convinced he did not want to know anything more than he did now without having the full conviction that he really did want to join Talon.

In the last few weeks he'd doubted this decision quite often already. He felt like he had been completely caught off guard by Doomfist's sudden appearance. Just when he had resigned himself to this life of solitude, too. It all seemed like too much of a setup to him. His every instinct told him so. But right now all that mattered was the money he'd make off this. The money in both suitcases combined was going to have to last him the rest of this year at the very least.

The meeting with whoever it was this drive was to be given would take place tomorrow. However, Hanzo had always been the sort of man to scout out the surroundings of wherever his job/mission happened to take place at. A safety precaution, a way to spot potential escape routes and hazards that could be foreseen so that he would not slip up when it was necessary for him to be at his best.  

Hanzo calmly scanned his surroundings as he approached the recently built city center. It was here that he would have to be approached by a man he did not know the name of - but he had been sent a photo that was going to allow him to at the very least recognize his client.

Lifting his gaze from his communicator, Hanzo couldn't help but notice the difference between the people inside of the building and the inhabitants of the favela surrounding it. The locals seemed to be avoiding the structure and its people at all cost... That was rather telling. He knew of the conflicts that had taken place in the city before. It seemed like that frog boy wasn't able to stop every change from happening. The thought only added to the dragon's bitterness regarding the whole concept of 'heroes'. 

But for now all he did was straighten his back and dismiss his obtrusive feelings as he headed out. No need to get distracted.

 

Since he still had the rest of the day and night to waste Hanzo opted to do a little bit of sightseeing. It was easy to be swept away by the large groups of tourists and just blend in, silently enjoying the city's sights, sounds and scents. He had some authentic coxinhas and after a quick online search sought out the second best bar in the city to get at least somewhat of a buzz going on. 

 

"Whiskey, please. On the rocks." He returned the bartender's friendly smile with a stiff nod, grateful to just throw half of the liquor back and savoring the punch it packed. He'd been sober for too long.

His finger slowly traced the edge of his glass, watching the little ripples in the liquid ember form and dissipate. He honestly couldn't help himself, the taste reminded him of the sip he'd taken from a bottle he'd found back in the watchpoint's kitchen when he was trying to find something decent to drink at night. Later he discovered the bottle belonged to none other than the cowboy that liked to prance around in his spurs all the time. You would think that it should not be that easy to look more ridiculous than a talking gorilla. 

Perhaps some people just possessed a natural talent for being ridiculous and unreasonable.

Jesse McCree... Hanzo had attempted to find out more about that odd figure in the time he'd spent there in Gibraltar, but that had proven to be a more difficult task than expected. For the  very loud and seemingly uncaring personality the cowboy exuded to the rest of the world he was quite capable in hiding whatever he did not want everyone else to know about his past. It must not have been all that great, then. 

Hanzo already disliked having even something like that in common with that mess of a man.

 

"Well. I'll be damned."

 

... What? With a slight frown Hanzo glanced back into his drink. That bartender didn't do anything to it, right? No. He would have noticed. 

 

Then why the hell was he hearing the cowboy's voice?

 

"Hanzo Shimada. If I knew you'd be in town I might've come around a lil' sooner."

 

Almost giving himself a whiplash by turning his head so fast, Hanzo's eyes widened ever so slightly as they landed on Jesse McCree, who took the liberty of sitting down on the stool next to his and even went so far as to tip his stupid hat at him in greeting.

 

"I'll have what he's having."

 

An uncomfortable silence fell (which didn't seem to bother McCree in the slightest) as they both waited for his drink to be poured. Hanzo felt like he was experiencing some sort of weird deja vu. Was Overwatch tracking him down, as well? Was it on his brother's orders? Had he been bugged the whole time and been enough of a fool not to notice?

"I didn't come here for you, by the way. No need to look so suspicious." Jesse calmly spoke up, pausing to take a sip of his whiskey and judging it with a neutral expression.

"Then what _are_ you here for?" Hanzo countered immediately, brow twitching at the lazy smile playing around the other's lips.

"Business. Hero stuff, y'know. You wouldn't understand."

For that McCree received a single deadpan look before Hanzo gathered his stuff and prepared to leave - though he was stopped by a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Aw, c'mon now. I didn't mean to be crude. Don't leave, you haven't even finished your drink."

"Do not attempt to be funny with me. I will not tolerate it."

"You got it, partner."

"We are not partners."

"It's a matter of—" Jesse cut himself off. A soft sigh, another smile. "Yeah, okay. You got it, mister Shimada."

Not quite understanding the cowboy's attempt at being friendly, Hanzo cautiously reclaimed his seat and wrapped his hand around his glass. Another silence fell. He hated how content McCree seemed to be just sitting there. What kind of ulterior motive did he have? There was no way he just happened to walk into the same bar as him.

"Let me guess. You searched for the second best bar in Rio and you found this one?" Before Hanzo could reply Jesse disarmed his anger with a throaty chuckle. "It's a good tactic. One I often use, too. The best bar's always a little too much, y'know?"

... What was he attempting to accomplish by trying to coerce him into this smalltalk?

"Why are you here." Hanzo asked (or rather demanded), looking at the cowboy as the man languidly checked his communicator.

"I see you haven't changed at all since we last saw you. It's been... what, a year? It's funny that you're so adamant on knowing why I'm here when you haven't even asked about Genji yet." 

He almost physically reeled back at the mention of his brother's name. He'd been avoiding it for as long as he could and hearing this man say it in the way he did - attempting to _reprimand_ him - made a rather sudden and fierce anger flare inside of him.

"My brother has chosen his path. So have I. His life is in his own hands and I could care less what he's going to do with it. And everything else concerning this is none of your business." He bit out before throwing back the rest of his whiskey and slapping a few bills on the counter, ignoring the cowboy's protest as he stormed back outside. His irritation worsened when he could hear the sounds of those spurs as McCree came after him. The nerve of that man! 

"Now hang on for a second - listen to me, I didn't mean to offend ya." Hanzo rolled his eyes at the exasperation lacing the other's voice and turned around to face him, ignoring the way Jesse nearly bumped into him due to his sudden stop. 

"I do not know what you are attempting to do here or if this is some sort of elaborate plan my brother made up. But your flag is not flying. Leave me be."

"I'm not attempting anything. I'm just surprised that I ran into you and I have no clue what to talk about with you except for the one thing we both know. I didn't lie, I'm here for work. Let me explain." McCree paused and let out a frustrated sigh before ushering Hanzo into an alleyway. "We've picked up on there being a vital information exchange between Talon and a very prominent corporation happening in this city tomorrow. If I'm able to intercept it we might have valuable proof of the ties between Talon and that corporation - maybe even more."

 

Shit.

 

They know.

 

"... I know. It's why I am here, as well."

 

That answer seemed to surprise the cowboy. The man quirked a brow and pushed his hat back. There was a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. 

"Are you serious?"

The same deadpan look from before that Hanzo gave him was enough of an answer.

"Well, shoot. You're a little late to the party then, ain'tcha? I've been looking for that Talon associate for about a week now. The transfer's tomorrow. How and why did you hear of this? And why d'you wanna meddle with it at all?"

"I was hired by a client I cannot give you any details about to take out the man aforementioned Talon associate is going to meet with."

The cowboy's eyes lidded ever so slightly, surprise turning to suspicion. Seems like he had at least half a brain after all.

"Can you prove it?" 

Hanzo silently pulled up the photo on his communicator to show McCree. He watched those brown eyes scan the face of this mystery man and did not blink when they went up to look in his own.

"... Damn. Well then." Jesse straightened up and crossed his arms. This was the last thing he'd expected coming from mister Shimada up on his high horse. All that yapping about how he doesn't believe in Overwatch and its ideals yet here he was, playing some sort of vigilante himself. Even if he was actually just working for a client. At least he was planning on killing a bad guy. It was better than nothing, he supposed.

Genji would like to hear about this character development.

"I don't suppose you got any information for me that you're willing to share?" He asked jokingly and was immediately taken off guard when after a moment of hesitating the dragon actually nodded and gestured for him to follow as he walked back out onto the street and started heading over to his hotel.

As he strode right behind the archer his eyes bore into the back of his head (before getting distracted by the way that golden scarf was swaying with his step). To think that Hanzo Shimada might have a good bone inside of him after all. He couldn't say he was all good with the guy. After he'd left his brother behind Genji had a lot of trouble getting his things back on track. It had really devastated him, seeing his brother willing to break off their ties over the change that Hanzo simply wasn't willing to make. And no one knew why - except for the man walking in front of him right now. 

Though since speaking about Genji would most likely result in getting ditched, Jesse opted not to mention it all. 

For now.

 

When they got to the hotel Jesse immediately noted that it was the complete opposite of the two-star hotel room he'd booked for himself. Seems like the assassinating business was still booming for this fellow. He'd heard some stories from Genji about his brother's prowess as an archer. In all honesty he doubted that he'd be able to best him and his peacekeeper - but still. He couldn't say that he wasn't curious.

"Y'know, we might be able to catch both of these guys if we work together, mister Shimada." Jesse suggested with an optimistic smile as they strolled out of the elevator.

"Perhaps."

A moment of silence. Then Jesse realized that was all he was going to get. "Not a very talkative man, huh." He muttered as they finally entered Hanzo's hotel room, his hand automatically going up to take his hat off out of habit. The suite was more than nice. White curtains lightly billowing thanks to one of the floor-length windows being half open, king-size bed and flatscreen TV, large desk full of research... The man knew what he was doing.

 

"Listen. If you're really willin' to share your stuff with me I'll be more than willing to compensate--"

 

Two hands suddenly fisted his hair and in a split second his face made contact with Hanzo's knee, bashing straight into the bone. The pain immediately exploded.

 

Holy _fuck_.

 

"Jesus Christ!" Despite the disorientation he was experiencing his metal arm acted out of instinct, grabbing the front of Hanzo's whatever the fuck kind of robe he was wearing and tossing him to the side as he reached for his gun.

Everything was happening so fucking suddenly.

His gun.

God, his fucking nose hurt like hell!

Where was his gun?!

”Right here.” The archer delivered a swift blow to the back of Jesse's head with it before tossing it out reach and swiftly lunged kicked him in the back of his knees. 

With a furious snarl McCree wrestled the other as he was forced to the ground, nearly choking when Hanzo pressed his own knee into his throat and smashed his metal arm to the floor. He was more than familiar with prosthetics and the like thanks to his brother. 

There was some coughimg and raspy brathing coming from below him and he sunbcondsciously lifted his knee just enough to keep he other breathing as his hands worked.

“No. Shit, don’t you fucking dare—“ Not being put off by the uncharacteristically panicked lilt to the cowboy’s voice, Hanzo quickly recognized the locking mechanism by the socket, pushing the right buttons to slide it off and throw it over to where the gun lied uselessly on the tiled floor. McCree winced at the short pain. Live nerves disconnecting from the artificial ones. A quick punch right to his nose easily distracted him from his arm, leaving him disoriented and slightly overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught.

Using the small timeframe he had before McCree would come out of the shock, Hanzo reached for one of the many sheets on his bed and quickly tied the man to the bedpost by his other arm, rendering him completely useless. 

The pained sounds coming from the corner in which Jesse now lied accompanied him as he quickly gathered his stuff and packed it all up. 

 

"If all 'heroes' at your Overwatch are as careless as you are it's no wonder the people decided they did not need you anymore." He calmly spoke when he finished, walking up to the other to empty his pockets and toss his communicator over to where his gun and arm were. 

 For a moment he figured McCree must have passed out. 

But then came his voice.

Deep and menacing - but empty at the same time.

 

"You're the associate."

 

Hanzo's movements paused just long enough for McCree to receive his confirmation. There was nothing left of any sort of emotion in his eyes. They just stared at him. And the dragon found himself unable to look away, locked in his intense gaze. It was commanding, unwavering. There was something there. Something terrifying.

 

"... How can you do this to your brother?"

 

My brother? What does Genji have to do with this?

 

"I already told you. What he does is-"

 

"None of your business. But this business that you're doin' right here and now? You're officially affiliating yourself with Talon. How d'you think that's going to affect Genji?"

 

"... I will not stay and argue with you about this." Hanzo snapped as he rose back to his feet, turning his back to the other and feeling those eyes burn straight into him.

 

"This ain't the last of me you're gonna see, Shimada. If you're Talon's ally you'll be our enemy."

 

Jesse watched as his assailant stilled in the middle of the room. He couldn't see his face, unable to determine how his words had an impact on him. If they even had an impact.

 

"The entire world became my enemy once I chose my brother over everything else. Your threat is empty." His voice sounded even enough.

 

" _Genji_ will be your enemy." A last resort.

 

"... Then at last our destinies will play out as they were meant to."

 

His footsteps were silent as he finally left the room, breaking the doorknob off and disposing of it in a janitor's closet before going to the lobby and checking out.

He spent the rest of the day on a rooftop watching the sun sink behind the horizon. The light its last rays cast over the ocean waves reminded him of Spain. The night was spent in another nondescript hotel, though he did not get any sleep. Everything seemed like a blur. The cowboy was haunting him in his mind. That look... he'd never seen anything like it before. He was not able to describe it in just one word. Or even in more than one. 

At the crack of dawn he was back in the favelas, entering the back of the city center and easily spotting the man from the photograph. The transfer went smoothly; he was thanked with a smile, and he was on his way again.

 

Why was this so easy? What exactly had he just done?

Not feeling the weight that plastic case had been in his pocket was even more concerning now than it would have been if he had lost it before. This really was Talon he was working for. This, the encounter with the cowboy, everything he had been doing ever since that farewell in Gibraltar, it all had him questioning one thing.

 

What kind of man was he?

 

It was only thanks to his body being used to simply doing what it had to that he got to the airport safely and followed the instructions from the anonymous message on his communicator to get to the lockers and retrieve another small suitcase filled with money. The only thing left to do was get the first plane out of the country and disappear for another while.

He needed time. Time to think. About himself, what he was going to do next. Because if there was one thing he did know it was that he was not going to do this shit again.

As Rio de Janeiro grew smaller and smaller underneath the airplane Hanzo finally ripped his eyes off the city and rested his head against his chair. 

Sleep wasn't going to be an option for a little while. But if he closed his eyes long enough he might stop seeing Jesse McCree's eyes staring into his own wherever he looked.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

"Fuckin' hell."

 

With a sigh of relief said cowboy finally managed to slip his arm out of the sheets it had been tied in. Judging from the height of the sun it had to be a little past noon... He might've escaped a little sooner if he hadn't passed out for a while. Hanzo had really gotten him good that time, god damn. 

After a minute of groaning and rubbing his nose he slowly got up and retrieved his arm. He couldn't believe how easily it had come off. This was state of the art, engineered by Angie and Torb. Then again when he thought of how crudely Genji had been put together he could see where he'd gotten the experience from.

Still.

Had he simply put too much trust in Hanzo? Or had he just been plain stupid? He just couldn't imagine him working for Talon. Yes, he was against Overwatch. Yes, he abandoned his brother. But he wasn't a bad fuckin' person. Right? If he was he'd just have tossed everything straight out the window instead of leaving it for him. Hanzo Shimada was an enigma if he’d ever met one.

Fuck him, though. Nearly broke his goddamn nose.

 

After a quick check he determined Peacekeeper was doing just fine and he holstered her like he always did before reaching for his communicator. He already had a few missed calls.

 

"Hey there, Winston. It's me. Mission failed."

 

...

 

"I got my ass beat, that's what."

 

...

 

"Yeah, about that. I did find him eventually. He's... Well. I'd rather not tell you over comms, actually."

 

...

 

"Because this is something everyone needs to hear. And I'm going to need to look someone in the eyes when I do so."

 

...

 

"Yeah. Yeah, that'll be fine. I'll hitch a ride on my own, don't you worry 'bout me."

 

...

 

"Yep. I'll see you soon."

 

The cowboy ended the call just as he finished checking his face in the bathroom mirror and quickly washed the dried up blood off. A little battered, a little bruised, nothing he wasn't used to. 

For a moment he stared back at his reflection. Small droplets of water trickling down his sun-kissed skin, tracing his worn expression. Jesse remembered a time where he couldn’t stand having to face himself. Thinking of what he’d done to his family, the people he’d wronged most. How much of a disappointment he was. The deep breaths he needed to take, having to steel himself before daring to glance at his own reflection. It had taken him many years to learn to accept the mistakes he'd made and live his life trying to better himself and make amends.

He’d struggled a lot, back then. Even now he experienced some difficult nights lying awake in his cot. He recognized a similar sort in Hanzo Shimada. The archer didn’t give away much, but the last thing he said before he’d left had been in a tone of voice laced with some badly hidden hurt. 

His fingers absentmindedly traced the brim of his hat for a second until he remembered he needed to get back to base. So he neatly pressed his hat back on his head before stepping out of the bathroom and scaring the shit out of a poor cleaning lady that was approaching from the other side of the hallway as he kicked the door down.

 

"Let's get this show on the road."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school has been hell haha!! i want to die
> 
> Apologies for the late updates u guys know abt those finals feels probably
> 
> ty for reading, let me know what u think :^)


	7. 変更 // henkō

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **変更** | **henkō** (n)
> 
> I. change
> 
> II. modification; alteration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ! chapter contains mentions of blood and pretty graphic injuries !

_He was home._

_Even though the gates were closed, the night sky welcomed him back with an array of shimmering stars, the moon casting its pale light over the grounds._

_The gravel made minute noises as he tiptoed between the lines that were painstakingly raked every single morning and evening by some unfortunate servant._

_There were no servants around today, it seemed._

_No omnic or human guards, no visitors, no members of the family on a nice evening walk._

_Though he did not feel like he was alone._

 

My family tells of an ancient legend about two great Dragon brothers; the Dragon of the North Wind and the Dragon of the South Wind.

Together, they upheld balance and harmony in the Heavens.

 

_The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, echoing in the distance yet ringing clearly in his ears as well. He knew this voice._

_His father was here._

_The cherry blossoms' scent followed the boy as he strolled past the bell tower, towards the main building towering over him, over the entire city. His feet carried him on their own as he entered the temple._

_Every sound that came from outside seemed to die out as his eyes fell on the elders seated there on the small pillows. Their murmuring was calm, their postures prim._

_What were they talking about?_

_Why couldn't he understand what they were saying?_

_Where was the sword...?_

 

But the two brothers argued over who could better rule their land.

Their quarrel turned to rage and their violent struggle darkened the skies, until the dragon of the South Wind struck down his brother.

He fell to earth, shattering the land.

 

_Something was wrong._

_The boy worried his lip between his teeth as he quietly passed behind the elders, begging for the wooden stairs and floors not to creak as he crept towards the back room._

_He needed to find his brother and his gut told him he had to be there._

_He'd always loved that room. The silence, the warm light, the privacy it offered._

 

For years the bereft dragon's grief threw the world into discord and he knew only bitterness and sorrow.

One day a stranger called up to the dragon and asked; "Oh, Dragon Lord, why are you so distraught?" 

 

_There he was._

_His back was turned to him as he was hunched over, and the boy carefully stepped into the center of the room, watching his brother._

_He looked... weak. His hands were clutching the sheathed sword he recognized as he got up on his feet and turned to face him._

_He was speaking in a voice that wasn't his own._

_It was their father's._

 

"Seeking power, I killed my brother. But without him... I am lost." 

 

_He physically reeled back when his brother uttered those words, looking at him with an expression he had never seen on his face before._

_There was an indescribable sorrow swimming in his eyes, his mouth quivering as his hands moved agonizingly slowly to unsheathe the sword. Blood spilled from it, gushing down to the floor, soiling his feet, the hem of his robes. It was terrifying to see him like this, to have to watch him come undone._

_The boy tried to move, tried to speak, wanted to call out his brother's name._

_Why couldn't he do it?_

_No. No, this can't be the end. The story, it wasn't finished. There was still more to it._

_The sheath clattered to the floor with a sickeningly wet splat, a spray of deep, dark red decorating the floor._

_The boy's hands flew to his throat when he felt his own blood spurt out from it. It seeped through his fingers, coating his chest and clothes._

_He couldn't breathe._

_He couldn't scream._

_His eyes hurt, unable to blink as he had to stand and stare as the other came closer, one step at a time, sword at the ready._

_He remembered the pain now. For the longest time he thought his brother had just been cruel to torture him like this, to cut away at his body until there was barely anything left of him._

 

"Genji."

 

_But by now he knew that even then he'd simply been stalling._

 

"Genji!"

 

_Desperately trying to keep him alive._

 

" _Genji!_ "

 

_He should have just been killed then and there._

 

\- - - 

 

In a reflex Genji reached for his sword, almost panicking when his fingers did not find it and ending up falling off the boxes he'd been perched upon as he flailed back into consciousness. With a loud curse he jumped back on his feet, one hand gripping the communication tower's steel beams to steady himself when he looked at the man who had so rudely awakened him.

"Whoa there, partner. Didn't mean to scare ya socks off like that." Jesse quirked a slightly amused brow at his friend as he stepped back, holding his hands up in a friendly, disarming gesture as the other caught his breath before managing to glare at him. 

"I was meditating, McCree."

"Yeah, I noticed. What about them fancy ninja skills you're always boastin' about then, huh? I thought you could hear me coming from miles away." The cowboy jingled his spurs to emphasize, causing Genji to let out a soft snort and let down his guard with a shake of his head. McCree was an easygoing person, not someone to make a big deal out of anything. He appreciated that. "... I might have dozed off a little while I was at it."

"See? There it is. And here you are, tryin' to blame it all on me."

"You still shouldn't have yelled."

"I'm loud. It's part of who I am. Figured you'd be used to it by now."

The wink sent his way was returned with a light punch to McCree's arm. "What did you wake me for, anyway?"

"Angie sent me, said she wanted to have a chat with you. She didn't tell me what exactly but it's probably important."

"Very well. I'll come back inside in a minute."

"Alrighty. Don't take too long."

 

The sparrow watched his friend walk off the platform, the tune he whistled slowly fading away as he headed back inside. He'd been with Overwatch for quite some time now and Jesse had proven to be a surprisingly kind human being. He was always genuinely concerned about the rest of the team; always offering his help to whomever seemed to need it, voluntarily preparing and cooking meals, offering to be a listening ear for anyone who wanted to get something off their chest. He was good at that. Just listening, nodding, not necessarily offering a solution but just being another person to vent things out with. 

And then there were the others, of course. Doctor Mei-Ling Zhou had recently joined the team, having endured a harrowing journey back from the ecopoint in Antarctica. Genji had felt like an incredible outsider watching the emotional reunion between her and the rest of the old guard. The story of how she was awakened, finding her friends and colleagues to be long gone, having to science her way out of that place... His father had told him many stories back in the day, but none came quite as close as the ones he'd heard in the time he'd been here.

His hand absentmindedly stroked his synthetic throat as he recalled his dream. Usually he wasn't plagued by odd flashbacks like those. Perhaps his brother's absence was starting to crawl under his skin. It had been a year since they'd parted ways after all. In all honesty he was quite surprised how well he'd been doing without him so far. For so long he'd felt completely dependent on Hanzo - and for a good while he actually had been. He paused and felt a twinge of concern and dread thinking about his brother again. He simply refused to believe he was too far gone. Though that debriefing from about a month ago had not exactly helped strengthen whatever belief he had left in him.

 

\- - -

 

_He'd been training that night when McCree had returned, immediately abandoning the practice range to greet his friend and being caught off guard by the stern attitude the cowboy showed towards him._

_"You're gonna want to be in on this debriefing, Genji."_

_That usually never happened. So he quietly nodded in agreement and followed him along with Winston and Angela. The good doctor looked at McCree's slightly beat up face in mild concern though seemed to refrain herself from making any comments while they all sat down around the large table._

_A long silence fell as Jesse fished out his case of cigars and took his time in snipping the ends off before lighting one. Usually he never smoked inside, not wanting to bother anyone else with the smell._

_Winston and Angela shared a look that didn't go over Genji's head._

_Something was up._

_"Well?" The gorilla finally pressed, crossing his arms and meeting Jesse's eyes. "Why did the mission fail?"_

_Jesse moved his gaze to Genji and he immediately knew. Why else would he have to be here right now?_

_"I got to Rio. I started lookin' around, gathering information." He moved to lean forward and tap around on the holographic table, pulling up an image of the building in the city center and the same photo he'd be shown by a certain someone on that day. "Everything was going according to plan right up until the moment I met Hanzo Shimada."_

_That bit of information did seem to surprise the other two, concern immediately flashing across their features - though Genji remained still._

_"I happened to meet him in a bar - right now I'm still assuming it was some sort of coincidence, though I wouldn't be surprised if it weren't. We talked a bit, I let it slip I was there for business. He proceeded to tell me he was there for the same reason, he wouldn't indulge me in letting me know who sent him, but whatever. I get my hopes up, and in all my good faith I propose we work together and get a better result in less time. He agreed, leads me to his hotel room. And then he suddenly starts beating in on me. I'm fuckin' stunned, tied to his damn bed, he takes of my goddamned arm, Angie. Can you believe that? Tosses the thing 'cross the floor and I'm left with only one conclusion."_

_"He was the Talon associate." Winston finished in a solemn voice, looking down at the table with a deep frown._

_"You're damn right he was." Obviously McCree was still in a bad mood over being overpowered so quickly and easily, Genji wouldn't blame him for that. What he did blame him for however was the fact they all immediately assumed the worst._

_"You are wrong." The bite in his words had the other three turn to look at him. "Hanzo would never bother to get involved with an organization like that."_

_"Genji. I get that he's your brother an' all, but he literally told me--"_

_"Did he?"_

_McCree slowly reached up to push his hat back. "Pardon."_

_"Did he explicitly tell you that he really was part of Talon?" Genji's anger flared at the face the other made._

_"... Well. Not really, but-"_

_"Then why is your immediate conclusion to think that he is?"_

_"Because he didn't say no either." Jesse countered as he straightened up in his chair. He was prepared to deal with this in whatever way Genji wanted to do it._

_For a moment the two glared at each other, the tension in the air almost able to be cut with a knife. He was well aware Hanzo was completely different from him. And he knew that his sudden leave and the way he had treated the agents during his stay here hadn't left a favorable impression. But he was still his brother._

_"Both of you, calm down." Having decided to finally intervene, Angela got up from her chair, hands flat on the tabletop. "We obviously can't draw any decisive conclusions from your story, Jesse. So for now we'll have to simply write a report and keep this in the back of our minds. If in a worst-case scenario Hanzo really is part of Talon, we'll act on it when we find out. For now we have to focus on the direct consequences of this failed mission."_

_The two men slowly back down and looked away from each other. Winston let out a sigh and instructed McCree on writing up that report and getting it to him the day after tomorrow at the very least. The cowboy took his order without complaint and left the room first, followed by Angela who was probably going to redirect him towards the med bay. Genji glanced over at Winston, noticing the pensive look in his eyes._

_"... I know you want to think the best of your brother. But being part of Overwatch also means placing the greater good above everything personal. Do you understand that, Genji?"_

_The greater good._

_He was willing to make sacrifices, yes._

_But Hanzo..._

_Well._

_He supposed they would indeed eventually found out. And until then he needed to be able to focus on the here and now._

_After a silent nod in confirmation Winston gave his shoulder a bit of an awkward pat before shuffling out as well, leaving him alone with his thoughts and doubts._

 

\- - -

 

Thankfully times and things changed. 

He'd put the meeting behind him after a good night's sleep and remained friends with McCree, both men apologizing for their behavior before continuing as equals.

Even though he wasn't an official Overwatch agent by any means he had done his best to aid behind the scenes in whatever way he could. Winston had explained to him that even though they were technically operating illegally it wasn't very easy to just get him on the team officially. On one hand Genji understood it quite well (and he wasn't exactly surprised, considering the different kinds of assassinations and burglaries he'd done in the past) - but one the other you also had someone like McCree who was pretty much in the same boat as him, yet easily accepted back into the team. And yes, he was a former agent already, but still. He supposed his impatience wasn't helping. He was done with just sitting around and doing the bare minimum. 

After a quick stretch and a deep breath he slowly climbed back down and crossed the grounds. If doctor Ziegler requested his presence he should not let her wait for too long. He wondered who was going to be cooking dinner tonight. Reinhardt had promised to fix up a grill for a 'good old-fashioned barbecue session', as he'd so adequately called it. Even though he wasn't able to eat, Genji did always enjoy helping out with the prep and the scents real fresh food brought. Not to mention the sense of solidarity that filled him when everyone sat cramped around the largest table they had and chatted about whilst they ate.

 

Speaking of everyone, why were they all gathered in the main lobby like this?

 

"Surprise!"

 

Barely flinching at the small confetti cannons that were set off as he walked in, Genji was moreso surprised by everyone coming up to huddle around him and wish him a happy birthday.

"But... How did you know?" He asked softly as he carefully tried to get out of Rein's bone-crushing embrace. With a chuckle Angela patted the elder's shoulder to signal him to let go. 

"You told me your birth date when I was creating your medical file way back when. And since I've been looking into that lately I couldn't help but notice you were going to become a year older soon. So we organized this for you." 

"It's nothing big, but we just wanted to celebrate. We already consider you part of the crew, anyway!" Lena added as she happily guided him towards the canteen where he was met with the sight of a large cake perched on one of the tables. Tacky little flags and balloons decorated the ceiling and one of the chairs had been decked out with a bunch of stuff. He was immediately pressed into that one and couldn't avoid Lena popping a party hat on his head, sitting down next to him with a teasing smirk. "Not to mention that this is a great excuse to eat some cake. I haven't had this stuff in too long." Jesse casually cut out a large chunk for himself while everyone else poured themselves some drinks.

"A toast! To Genji Shimada, ninja warrior supreme." Reinhardt bellowed as he held up a tankard of beer.

"To your health." Angela followed up with a gentle smile.

"And that you may quickly and officially join the force!" Lena happily clinked her glass against Mei's, who spoke up next.

"Oh, and, uhm. That your secret ramen recipe may always remain delicious?" She offered sheepishly.

"To your 33d year of living. May there be many more good ones." Winston added on a rather wise note before Brigitte raised her glass. "To your bravery and strength!"

"That your swords may always stay sharp." McCree piped up through a mouthful of cake, looking at Törbjorn next to him and giving him a light nudge when the Swede stubbornly remained silent.

"Alright, alright. To... I don't know. That you may remain less of a nuisance than you are now."

"I'll toast to that." Genji let out a huff and raised his own glass of water, raising it along with everyone else and then slowly lowering it as they broke out into cheerful chatter, cut the cake and started playing some music.

This was the first birthday since they left their home behind that he'd celebrate without Hanzo.

It was a bit of an odd thought. He'd grown used to the quiet birthdays of his brother acting like he usually did throughout the day and then breaking out a small present at night. Since he was a very practical man he'd always bought him something useful. New weaponry, a new bag, sometimes even just some clothes. They'd always been nice, though. And Genji never didn't appreciate the gesture. This right here was a complete 180.

But it wasn't an unwelcome change.

Now that he'd grown used to staying in one place and the people around him he could say that he enjoyed having been able to grow used to this again.

The feeling of having a home.

 

"There is one more thing I'd like to give you, Genji." Angela spoke up once the cake was finished and everyone had quieted down a little, watching in anticipation as the doctor stood up and looked at her friend. "I have discussed your case with a lot of people. Other doctors, specialists and engineers from different countries and continents. With their help Törbjorn and I have been able to come up with a design for a new body." She rounded the table to hand a slightly dumbstruck Genji the paper's she'd been holding. Unfolding them revealed a set of impressive blueprints with detailed drawings and descriptions, depicting something that was just an incredibly state of the art, high-tech project. "This body will enable you to be faster, stronger and more agile in general while also allowing you to do more basic things. Like eating, for example. It's designed to specifically enhance your skills." 

A long, awed silence fell as Genji wordlessly studied the prints. Never in his life did he imagine that doctor Ziegler and everyone else who helped work on this would go through such great lengths for him. His fingers traced the mask that would cover his face. In fact whatever was left of his entire body would be hidden underneath this stuff. But... did that really matter? If this was able to make him feel complete he'd sacrifice the feeling of the wind blowing through his hair without a single doubt.

"... Angela, I-"

"There is one thing that you must do in return, however."

Genji paused, eyes flitting over to her. There was a catch?

"I have also been in contact with a certain group of omnic monks situated in Nepal. I have been interested in their healing methods and have done some research into it on and off for a while. Once this body is yours I would like for you to go on an indefinite mission to their monastery and to learn from them." He watched as her expression softened. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But I do sincerely believe they will be able to help you to an extent that I am currently incapable of."

"I will do it." He replied easily as he got up as well, grabbing a gentle hold of her shoulders before pulling her into a brief hug. "You have done more for me than I deserve already. I am willing to make whatever change is necessary to better myself. Thank you, Angela." Genji let go of the doctor to face the rest at the table. An inexplicable warmth spread through him, his chest swelling with a kind of happiness he hadn't experienced since he was a child. To him there was no longer any doubt. These people were heroes in their own right. "I want to thank all of you. Not only did you let me stay, you welcomed me in a way I did not expect or ask from you. I hope to fully repay your kindness one day. But for now I hope that my gratitude stands for something at the very least."

His little speech was rewarded with plenty of supportive comments, smiles and pats on the back, and when he sat back down and relished in the moment he knew that he'd done the right thing. He was more than willing to lay down his life for people like these. This was his second chance. The opportunity to do something right. And he wasn't going to let it go to waste.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

Venice at night wasn't as dark as Hanzo had imagined it to be. The Rialto bridge and the many canals were illuminated by the streetlights, warm orange flashes decorating the rippling waters. He hadn't planned on returning to the city so soon. Though perhaps it was for the best that he got this meeting over and done with as quickly and quietly as possible.

After the encounter with Jesse McCree the morals he thought he didn't possess anymore had been a little shaken up. Despite his success in banning his brother out of his mind for long enough to be able to focus on his own path the cowboy's words occasionally reverberated through him. He did not know when he would encounter Genji again - _if_ he even would see him again. But if he knew his brother then Genji was going to be severely disappoint with these things he'd done. 

Hanzo made a face at the thought while he crossed the street, heading for the square where he'd been told to go to be picked up. They were both far past the age of needing an example. He shouldn't care about what his brother thought about him. So he shook it off for now and checked the time. Five minutes early... but judging from the rather out of place looking Talon member walking up to him it didn't matter much. 

"Hanzo Shimada. Follow me." They really weren't as subtle as he thought they'd be. 

The man turned and walked off immediately. Hanzo frowned as he did indeed follow him, though kept scanning his surroundings just to be sure. Talon had been rather friendly to him but they were still just another terrorist organization. He wouldn't put anything past them.

After a short journey through some calm streets and narrow alleyways they neared a large mansion. No, it wasn't subtle at all. The grand doors were closed, however, so he was lead towards another door to the side and brought into the building. The city's sounds died out behind him and a rather eerie calm filled the estate. The large statue in the central hall was a little imposing, obviously trying to send an early message to all people who entered. He didn't have too much time to take her in, though. The man lead the way down a staircase, through a conference room and straight into a hidden hallway that ended in an elevator.

As they slowly descended the glass walls of the lift allowed him to see all the levels the gigantic underground base constructed here. It was quite an impressive place, Hanzo had to admit. What a hell it must have been to create this with all the canals and whatnot. There was an enormous open space with pathways on different levels surrounding it, much like a hotel in Oasis  he'd once been in only on a much larger scale. He spotted a couple of interesting vehicles and aircrafts, people in uniforms either wandering around or training below. 

This really was their headquarters.

And if he was being shown all of it so soon he figured that there was something rather important that was going to be asked of him. Why else would Ogundimu display this sort of trust to him?

 

Eventually they reached their designated floor. It consisted of a quiet hallway and a lot of offices and they walked right up to the one at the very end with the biggest doors. A knock, a buzz, and he stepped inside to meet the leader's eyes with his own.

"Mister Shimada. I am delighted you decided to contact us so soon." Hanzo met Doomfist's optimistic greeting with a simple nod, feeling a bit awkward being left alone with the man in his exorbitantly decorated office. Somehow he doubted that he'd played for interior decorator himself. This man was a lot of things, but not the type to have statues of golden horses framed the intricate artwork on the wall behind him.

"Please, sit."

"I would rather not."

Akande lightly tilted his head. "Is there something the matter?"

"Yes. I am not here to strengthen our bond or to join your organization." Having to watch the pretense of kindness melt off his face was unsettling - but he did not show it. "I am here to sever all ties with you."

A short silence fell. Akande's fingers lightly tapped together as he raised them to his face, resting his chin on his thumbs as he gazed upon Hanzo with an unreadable expression. Somewhere he vaguely wondered if the man truly had expected him to join Talon right here and now.

"You get down to business rather quickly, mister Shimada. May I ask why you made this decision?"

The archer straightened his back, having expected to be asked this question. "I believe you took advantage of me during a moment of weakness. I understand why. I would have done the same if I had been in your position. However, I do think you might feel the same sort of anger I do when you'd realize that. If I recall correctly I have told you the first time we met that I would have little to gain--"

"But you don't. I've promised you your old life back, Hanzo. Have you forgotten that? The empire you left behind?"

"I have not forgotten." Hanzo snapped a little suddenly, hands clenching into fists at his side. "And I have decided that the past should be left behind. I am not the same man I was back then nor do I want to reclaim something I do not deserve or desire anymore."

"We have given you money."

A bag was dropped on his desk. Hanzo wordlessly stepped back and let the other unzip it and check its contents for himself, taking out a wad of cash and fanning it a little. Their eyes met and it was with a barely noticeable narrowing of his eyes that he was instantly reminded of the times he'd been inside his father's office being reprimanded for his brother's behavior. He could see it, the anger building in those eyes. 

 

"... So you really cannot be persuaded."

 

"Indeed."

 

A deadly silence fell. Hanzo could feel his arm prickle. There was a tension rising in the room, the air growing thick with it. This wasn't going to end nicely. 

 

"... Then you leave me no other choice."

 

Alerted to the incoming troopers by their heavy footsteps, Hanzo lunged away from the door as a bunch of Talon soldiers suddenly stormed in. He delivered a swift kick to the stomach of one, sending him flying back into another and creating just enough space fro him to squeeze through and run into the hallway. The elevator doors opened to reveal more of the bastards and he immediately ducked into the door leading to the staircase that he'd spotted earlier. With regulated breaths he started to sprint up, grabbing his bow and nocking an arrow in advance. He could hear hurried footsteps coming from above so he ran into another level's corridor in favor of being closed in, effectively killing two guards with an arrow to the head before smashing through the next double doors. 

Shit.

For a moment everyone on the main floor stared at him. Then Doomfist's voice bellowed over the intercom and Hanzo ducked behind a plane for cover, cursing softly when he heard and felt the bullets hit the floor right by his feet. "You idiots, we need him alive!" Another voice yelled in the distance. That was a cause for concern. He knew about that Widowmaker woman, what they had done to her.

And he was not eager to potentially receive the same treatment. 

So he quickly climbed the plane, hopping over to the next and then the one after that, launching a few arrows with good aim but mostly trying to distract his foes while he booked it for the exit. His heart was beating in his throat, the bullets rained around him but he was so close, the doors were right there as he reached out, his fingers brushing the cool metal of the handle.

 

The shot rang through his ears before he could feel it.

  

An agonizing, burning pain the likes of which he'd never experienced before started to scorch his left knee, slowly spreading through his leg as it gave up on him. Almost as if in slowmotion did he start to fall. The pain flared with an unimaginable intensity, taking his breath away as the ground came dangerously close to his face. Instinctively he tucked into himself, rolling a few pathetic meters before coming to a halt. His bow clattered onto the floor, arrows spilling out from his quiver. His dragons were crawling under his skin. Aching to be let out, to help, to save, to destroy. 

 

He reached for his knee, heaving out a breath as his hand grew sticky with his own blood as it oozed out of the wound, tissue bubbling around the shattered cap. 

 

It couldn't end like this.

 

Not here.

 

With a low growl the archer clutched a nearby stack of boxes, ignoring the sudden silence behind him. He knew they were watching him struggle. Looking on as he abandoned his weapon, trying to walk on one leg, leaving a thick red trail behind him as he reached for the exit once more.  

His hand had fully grasped the door handle when the next shot was fired.

 

 

"Well done." Akande walked up beside his star sniper as she lowered her weapon. "Your aim truly is something to behold." He mused, watching from one of the higher floors as the archer crumpled to the floor one last time. A couple of men gathered him in their arms, his infuriated and painful screaming ringing through the open hall as they started dragging him off. He won't be able to run off again anytime soon. 

The woman beside him leaned back as she shouldered her rifle. Her gaze was as empty as her heart while she looked on, only turning to leave when her victim was out of sight. She was well aware of what was going to happen to him. Despite her own memory having been wiped for most of the procedure there were enough remnants to remind her of how brutal and cruel Talon was prepared to be.

 

"Et c'est comme ça."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HaNzO mY bOy
> 
> This chapter was a lil genji centric for the sake of setup. maybe the brothers will meet again in the next one...?
> 
> this... took me a long time to write lmao. thank u guys for ur patience and the comments on the last one <3
> 
> I don't have a beta reader so you guys' feedback really do help me with the story and motivate me to keep going.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed :v


	8. 疲労 // hirō

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **疲労** | **hirō** (n)
> 
> I. exhaustion, fatigue
> 
> II. weariness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! mentions of torture/physical and mental abuse throughout this chapter !!

Do you know that feeling you get when you're lying down with your eyes closed and you feel like you're riding a rollercoaster while you're not even moving?

Yeah. It's a horrible, nauseating feeling. And despite his drinking habits, Hanzo couldn't say he'd ever experienced it this badly before. His eyelids felt like they were glued shut, his arms cramped up, his head too heavy to even properly lift up.

 

And then suddenly he was quite fiercely reminded that his current situation was a lot worse than a sinple hangover.

 

A throbbing, aching, excruciating pain, radiated from his legs throughout his entire body, causing his eyes to finally snap open.

 

For a moment his brain and lungs needed to catch up to it all. His first breath was nothing but a raspy heave. Then another, and a cough that made his throat feel raw before he exhaled with a shudder.

It took a moment for Hanzo to get into a headspace that allowed him to think somewhat clearly. He automatically wanted to reach for his knees, simultaneously making him find out his hands were tied behind his back. Quickly suppressing the panic rising in his chest he closed his eyes again 

He remembered what had happened. Venice. Talon. Doomfist. His knees.

His _knees_.

The pain intensified with a vengeance at the memory. How he had even allowed himself to get captured that way went beyond him. He hadn't given up. The exit had been within his reach. Had he not seen the Widowmaker? He was aware of her presence within the building, though... Somehow he hadn't kept that in mind during his escape. A critical mistake - one that had cost him his freedom, potentially his life, and most importantly his damned knees.

Sucking in a breath through his teeth, Hanzo peered through his lashes and attempted to familiarize himself with his surroundings. There wasn't any light, artificial or natural. Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness it didn't take long to realize he'd just been put into a cell. Four concrete walls, a ceiling and floor to match, one iron door and a one-way mirror. The chair he was tied to was made of metal, as well. No vents, no cracks in the concrete. He could _try_ and scoot over to the door but even just thinking about moving his legs made his jaw clench.

Up until then he'd been avoiding looking down at the sure mess that'd be there to greet him.

But there was nothing else left to look at.

After a last glance at the ceiling and a brief mental preparation he finally lowered his gaze to be met with a mess of blood and tissue soaking his pants and pooling on the floor. Before he could worry about his blood loss he noticed it was old and dried. So they had been kind enough not to let him die. Yet, at least. He had told Akande he did not care for any kind of cooperation nor did he desire to restore his family's empire.

What was left to wonder was why they wanted to keep him alive.

And as he sat there, alone with nothing but his thoughts and the searing pain in his legs, he let the darkness envelop him and simply prayed the answer would come swiftly.

 

\- - -  

 

Time passed. How much, Hanzo could not be sure about. He had absolutely no ways of determining it. Sleeping was out of the question. He would not be alone forever. At some point they would come back here. Question him, torture him, try to convince him in ways their leader hadn't tried yet. He wasn't scared or nervous. There was a certain kind of anticipation brewing as he waited, staring at the door in front of him, completely dismissing the window. They weren't going to gain anything from just watching him, anyway. 

He was a sniper, a hunter, a trained assassin. The waiting game was not new to him. He counted from 1 to 100 a couple of times. First in Japanese. Then in English. Chinese. And then Japanese again from the start. Pressing his nails into the skin of his palms. Left hand, right hand. Recalling every tongue twister he knew in his head. 

His patience and focus finally paid off when he heard a minute noise from the other side of the door. Hanzo lightly lifted his chin and stared straight at the three masked men stepping inside and looming over him in what he had to assume was some sort of attempt to intimidate him.

"You will return to Hanamura."

The voice coming from the one standing right in front of him was altered through his helmet, menacingly glowing red eye holes staring down at him as he waited for an answer.

Hanzo gave none.

Hanamura. They wanted him to go back. Re-establish the power his house once held... Ogundimu had kept repeating that to him. 'Rebuild your empire'. With help from Talon, he'd undeniably be tied to them if he were to say yes. Ties... They wanted to have a base in Japan. How many pies did they want their greedy fingers in?

"You will gain leadership over your clan. You will get money, people, supplies of weapons and drugs. In return you will follow our orders and establish a powerful hold of the east."

So predictable. He briefly moved his head to get his hair out of his face and remained silent. The standoff continued for a couple moments, the cold light spilling from the hallway and into his room. Even though Hanzo's eyes hurt, he refused to so much as squint, looking back at the soldiers in front of him without fear.

Slowly and silently the one in front got on one knee.

Everything went completely silent as he placed his hand on Hanzo's shattered left knee. For a second the only thing the dragon was aware of was his heart thumping in his chest and a slight ringing in his ears.

Gloved fingers pressed into his wound, fresh blood oozing out and fragments of bone crackling and cutting further into his leg. The chair shook as Hanzo spasmed, his jaws clenched together so hard his entire face hurt from it. He could feel moisture on his fingertips, presumably blood from how his nails just absolutely dug into his skin. His breathing turned harsh and irregular... but he uttered not a single word. His eyes were open wide and continued to be trained on the man in front of him with nothing but determination and hatred in them. Even as the impassive mask stared back and messed with his flesh in an eerily calm manner he refused to speak to him or anyone else in this room or the next from where he was sure more important people were looking on. They were not worth anything that spilled from his lips.

It probably only lasted a minute at most. But to the archer it felt like an eternity before he finally removed his hand and straightened up, his head briefly turning towards the window before focusing on his subject.

"We will be back."

That was a promise Hanzo knew was going to be kept. He exhaled through his nose as the three exited his room and leaned back against his chair, ignoring his trembling leg. He could now see how things were going to be for him. A rescue wasn't in the cards for him, so he was going to have to save himself. He wished he could say he'd gone through worse. But the truth of the situation was that he hadn't. He'd been trained for situations like these, yet. And he'd been captured once before. But then the conditions had been more in his favor, and... well.

Genji had been there for him, too.

He couldn't help it. He let out a snort, looking down at his lap as he started to see this was the hole he'd dug himself into. He'd always been good at driving others away. His brother had simply held out a little longer than most. He'd thought he'd atoned for his sins, but... Perhaps not. 

He'd tortured himself long enough. It seemed like it was time for someone else to take over.

 

\- - - 

 

 Just like he'd been promised, there were people coming in and out of his cell every now and again to tell him the same things over and over. Go back to Hanamura. Establish your power. Obey Talon. All the while fucking with his legs until they noticed that didn't work anymore. He had no idea how much time passed in between visits. They didn't seem regular and they always did the same thing.

For a while he was left alone. Could've been hours. Could've been days or weeks. Trying to stay awake became increasingly difficult. Despite his hurting he was growing exhausted, his body unable to keep up with what it was being put through. His eyelids became so heavy and his head kept lolling about as he attempted to stay awake - but he wasn't even granted any rest. Someone came in, cut him loose and dragged him through a hallway by his hair. Hanzo only had the energy to let out a couple of pained groans as he was taken into a different room and slammed onto a metal table. Before he could draw a proper breath a wet washcloth was slapped over his face and even more water poured right onto it.

 

Return to Hanamura.

 

Become clan leader. 

 

Do as Talon says.

 

Promises of power and wealth did nothing for Hanzo anymore. The only thing that seemed to make sense was to attempt breaking his spirit. They tried it over and over again. He wasn't granted any rest. No food or water to consume except for whatever happened to get into his system because of the waterboarding. Every new session took longer than the last, every person that grabbed him became rougher and more frustrated with the lack of result.

 

Return to Hanamura.

 

Become clan leader. 

 

Do as Talon says.

 

Why be so stubborn? You can get everything you want. It's not like you haven't worked for us before. You're well aware of what we're capable of and we know you aren't affiliated with Overwatch. Will you really spend the rest of your life aimlessly roaming the earth? We can give you a purpose. We make this world a better place. You can be part of something bigger than yourself. 

He was brought back to his cell. Dropped on the floor and left to consider the gracious offer for a while before he was retrieved again. And again. And again. He started to lose count on his journeys back and forth. They must be giving him something to keep him going because god knew he wasn't capable of doing so anymore.

 

Return to Hanamura.

 

Become clan leader. 

 

Do as Talon says.

 

"No."

 

For the first time since it all had started, Hanzo's lips parted to finally utter a single word through heaving breaths and with a raspy voice. His wet hair stuck to his face, his eyes staring at the ceiling before his head rolled to the side and he looked at the one-way mirror, his cheek resting on the cool metal of the table.

"Your ideals do not align with mine. To achieve your goals you will go through anything, destroying innocent lives that never deserve to experience your punishing the world. Yes, I am a killer. But I'll _never_ stoop down to your level. You can try as hard as you want. But a dragon cannot be broken." He finally spat, almost out of breath from that simple outburst. He did not know what was communicated over the wavelength of any earpieces, but after a short silence he was administered a simple sedative. He felt the needle slip into his arm and he angrily  shook the table one last time as the fury in his expression slowly relaxed and his eyes closed as he was finally allowed a rest. He did not care what happened next. He'd said what he wanted. He'd face the consequences when he was going to wake up again.

 

\- - -

 

Something was different.

 

Hanzo didn't know what it was yet. But he did notice that for the first time in forever he was actually surprisingly well-rested. And after trying he also found out his hands weren't bound to anything. So he slowly raised them to his face as his eyes opened, inspecting his palms. Not a single crescent-shaped indent to be found. His fingers were all clean, too. 

He released a breath as he lowered his arms. Immediately he spotted a different ceiling. There were bright lights on, as well. The walls were a stark white, decorated with a bunch of shelves that held some questionable contents. Strange flasks and beakers, plastic bins filled with stuff he couldn't quite make out from where he was lying. Thinking of which, this was a bed he was lying down in. Or a comfortable mattress he was on at the very least.

What was going on?

 

"Ah. You're awake."

 

The unfamiliar and non-altered voice nearly scared him if he had been any less anxious for someone to come into his field of vision and slap another towel on his face. He craned his neck to look at the source. A woman sitting at a table not too far away, placing the erlenmeyer she'd been holding down before getting up from her chair and calmly approaching him.

She looked... strange.

Short ginger hair combed back, a face made up of sharp angles and an odd silver-looking plate over her left eye and brow. She was wearing a black shirt and pants underneath a lab coat and when she raised her right hand to check on the IV that was hooked up to him he almost leaned away from it. He wasn't entirely sure how that arm had come to be so... disfigured. Purple veins and discoloration, lines following her bones all the way up to her long nails. 

 

"... Who are you?" He spoke up with a leveled voice, frowning as he met her eyes. Two different colors.

"My name is Moira O'Deorain. I'm a doctor and a geneticist affiliated with and working for Talon."

The woman smirked a little, mildly amused at the disappointed twitch of her patient's mouth. "Did you truly expect to have suddenly left Talon's headquarters without you even knowing?"

"I did not. But with the sudden difference in circumstance it's easy to assume." 

"I suppose so." She hummed and checked on his vitals. "How are you feeling, mister Shimada?"

"Why am I here?"

Moira paused and crossed her arms with an unreadable gaze. "You've been told the answer to that question quite often in the past two months."

 

Two months. 

He'd been here a whole two months already.

 

"Then why am I not still in that cell?" He bit out, anger quickly building inside of him with his newfound energy. His reaction seemed to interest the woman who lightly tilted her head as she thought about how and what to answer.

"Because the plans have changed, obviously. The initial methods produced no viable results. So they handed you over to me."

"And what will you do to me that they have not tried yet? Psychological warfare?" Hanzo countered, prepared to tell her the same thing he'd told the others.

"Not exactly. I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet, really."

 

With a calm smile she reached for the sheet that was pulled up to his chest to pull it down to the end of the bed. The difference was right there.

 

His legs were gone. 

 

From just above his knees, his legs had been removed, leaving just a pair of stomps contrasting starkly against the pristine white of the sheets. His breath hitched.

 

"I've already begun."

 

Even though he'd known that with how his knees had been destroyed there hadn't been any other viable solution. Healing those wounds and even replacing those caps might not have been enough. But to have it done like this, without him even realizing when he'd woken up, it was... Frightening. Somehow having been awake for everything that was done to him had been more reassuring than having body parts removed without his knowledge.

Moira's left hand gently stroked the sensitive and still healing skin on the end of his leg. "The procedure went very well. Lacroix landed a couple of clean shots. The others messed about for a bit, but not too much to make my work impossible. I'm quite proud of these." She spoke ever so easily, as if she was talking about some sort of artwork she'd created. 

"Don't touch me." Hanzo hissed, snatching her hand and yanking it off him. "You devilwoman. You're just as bad as the rest of them."

The doctor seemed unfazed by his sudden little outburst. "I never claimed to be any better." Her gross hand reached up to grasp his wrist. The sudden cold that seeped into his skin and bones underneath her palm made him pull his own back quickly, staring at her in disbelief. What was her deal?

”I have heard quite a few interesting stories about your ability to conjure up dragons. It appears to be a party trick of sorts only members of the Shimada family have been able to control. Now I for one do not believe in magics and the like, though I am greatly interested in finding out how you perform it.” She  hummed thoughtfully, briefly tracing his tattoo. “Perhaps I will have to take this off to examine it closer...”

His arm spasmed away from her in response, the dragons itching and crawling underneath his skin. Moira paused, a mildly delighted expression on her face that disturbed Hanzo more than he’d like to admit. Her hand retreated to pull up a holoscreen and tap out a few notes.

"But you needn't worry about that. Not yet. Right now a new pair of legs is being created for you. State of the art, ability-enhancing pieces of technology. After those are succesfully attached we’ll commence your conditioning. So you'll soon learn to be grateful for our work."

Hanzo grit his teeth and looked at her with the true fury of a dragon. The sheer audacity she was displaying made his voice stronger than before as he replied without any hesitation. "I would rather die than work for you lot."

The scientist didn’t skip a beat in return. "Then you will."

She pulled a metal table on wheels close as she turned back towards him. It was loaded with surgical equipment, from scalpels to needles and syringes.

"I am being told to keep you alive and thus I will do so. Though to me you are nothing more but an experiment, mister Shimada. I’d recommend you keep that in mind." She spoke as she filled one of the syringes with a liquid out of a small bottle, presumably a sedative. "I will research you and your dragon and I will make both of you obey. Science will reveal the truth, _your_ truth. I will learn what I can about you and attempt to unlock your full potential for Talon to exploit. That's all I'm here for." With a pensive gaze she lifted the syringe up to the light before looking down at him and grabbing his arm, her claws digging into his skin as she found a suitable vein. "You will pose for an interesting challenge, I'm sure. But I've never backed down from one before." 

The last thing Hanzo registered before he blacked out was her devilish smile and a slight tinge of anxiety inside. She was the one. She created the Widowmaker, maybe even the Reaper. 

 

And he was next.

 

\- - -

 

_That day he had one last meeting with the elders. He stood there, staring at the tapestry in front of him as the other six murmured more to themselves than to him._

_The decision had been made._

_There was no turning back for them._

_They'd spent such a long time discussing this and trying to talk it right to themselves when in reality he'd been more than aware that there was simply no getting out of this anyway._

_He figured they must have wanted this for a long time with how content they seemed with their decision._

_And now, after their father's death..._

_There was no better time to finally put the plan into action._

_He was the leader now. And he needed to take up that responsibility._

 

_Hanzo lightly lifted his head._

_"I know you're there, Genji."_

_There was a small scuffle from the banister upstairs in the following silence. A familiar green-haired head popped out from a corner and grinned at his brother without any shame whatsoever._

_With a shared knowing look the elders got up from their knees before murmuring a last greeting to their new leader and shuffling outside, leaving the youngest brother to jump on down._

_"What we agree on about--"_

_"Eavesdropping? That I shouldn't do it. But I wasn't doing it this time, actually. I swear. Well - in the beginning, maybe. But it was boring." He took out his holopad from his inner pocket, the game he'd been playing on it still open. His smile faltered at the sight of his brother's face not lightening up. Not a smile, not even a quirk of his brow._

 

_Hanzo turned away, looking back at the tapestry and biting down on the inside of his cheek._

 

_"... Hey. Are you okay?"_

 

_The soft tone and genuine concern in Genji's voice made Hanzo lower his head._

 

_"I'm sorry, Genji." His own voice was almost unrecognizable to himself. Weak and unsure. "I did not want this. I suppose that in a way I failed us both. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough."_

 

_"Hanzo. What are you talking about?" The green-haired laughed a little, not really understanding what he was getting at. "What's the matter?"_

 

_The other shook his head. Fingers wrapped around the hilt of his blade._

 

_"... What are you doing."_

 

_He had to do this._

 

_"Put that down."_

 

_For Hanamura._

 

_"Hanzo. Drop the goddamn sword."_

 

_For the Shimada clan._

 

_" **Hanzo!** "_

 

 

\- - -

 

 

A hand clamped over his mouth. 

With a start Hanzo wanted to reach up to grasp the stranger's arm, wanting to snap it out of instinct but being unable to even raise his hands with how incredibly sluggish he felt.

His eyes opened oh so slowly. Every single muscle he wanted to move felt like it was trying to move through a mass of molasses. A groan got muffled by the hand stopping it from making any load noise and his eyes had some trouble focusing on their face. Or rather the lack of one.

Another mask. But not red. Not even any visible eyes. A blue triangle...? Though it seemed to stare at him either way. 

They lifted their other hand to his lips as they slowly pulled back. 

"Can you walk?" Strange accent. 

_Walk?_

"No legs." He managed to mutter, vaguely waving towards the non-existent legs. What kind of question was that.

 

There was a pause.

 

"How long have you been out?"

 

Hanzo shrugged, sluggishly raising his head. 

... Huh.

Looks like he had new legs.

"Those are new."

The stranger didn't move for a second before grabbing a hold of him. "Try them out."

He managed to take half a step before his new knees buckled. With a soft grunt the other held onto him a little tighter, tossing one of his arms over their shoulders. "Just try to walk along. We need to get out of here fast."

The entire journey they underwent took incredibly long. He stumbled about, the drugs in his system and the fact that he'd never used these legs before not helping him in trying to navigate through the hallways. Thankfully he was awake enough to realize he needed to be as quiet as possible. And he did his best, he really did. But he was just so exhausted. 

He barely even noticed when they finally reached an exit, the stranger slently opening it. Hanzo managed to notice the guards slumped down on the ground outside before he realized there was air here. A breeze. Real, fresh air brushing his eyelashes, his cheeks, his greasy hair. 

"I've got him." 

It took only a moment before a vehicle showed up, silently gliding up to them and coming to a halt before he was loaded in the back of it. The door was closed behind him and the stranger remained by his side in the back as they drove off.

The person behind the wheel briefly glanced back. Another mask. A red one, this time. But there weren't any eyes. There was a straight, angry-looking line that seemed to stare right at him despite the lack of pupils. A hint of a scar, grey hair...

Who were these people?

 

"You'll get our answers soon." The first stranger promised, placing a hand on his chest. "Rest for now. You've earned it."

 

Hanzo wanted to ask so many questions. The streetlights they drove past nearly blinded him with how intense they seemed. Was he really leaving? Where was he even going? Who were these people? 

He didn't want to go back to sleep. There was a possibility he would wake up and be met with the reality that everything that just happened had been a hallucination, a dream - or nightmare, rather. He had experienced a large range of emotions throughout these past weeks and he did not want to go through that all over again.

But the exhaustion and the pain were so heavy as they pressed down on him. There was not much he could do to resist it all. The turmoil in his exhausted, drugged-out brain slowly died down as he allowed himself to sink into the darkness. 

 

He would wake up soon. And then he would face his problems head-on once more.

 

Life goes on after all. No matter how painful it gets.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> taking this break was the best thing i ever did hah
> 
> I still like this fic. I just had a lot of trouble getting through this chapter + I didn't feel like my writing was on par?? idk I finally got some help a while back and I'm back on a good path now. 
> 
> I hope I didn't disappoint anyone too much. But I just want you guys to know that no matter how long a pause this thing goes on I don't want to let it die. I just want to be happy with my own work too ya dig
> 
> also i think i said this on every chapter so far but your comments really helped me push through. So ty guys <3
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one !


	9. 再会 // saikai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **再会** | **saikai** (n)
> 
> reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _reupload bc i messed up_

Before, every night seemed to last forever.

 

Haunting thoughts and doubts would go around his mind. Material heavy enough to keep even the worst of criminals lying awake at night.

 

When the skies were clear he praised himself lucky.

 

It wasn't easy to distract himself - but it helped to gaze at the stars.

 

They served as a reminder.

 

In the end, we're all just tiny specks in the universe. Even smaller than those balls of gas floating in nothingness.

 

Before he would pray for the sun to rise, to call for his attention and get the day started.

 

Keeping himself busy was all that he had to do. Every so often he attempted to meditate. You'd think that in his line of work he'd be able to sit perfectly still outside of his job, too.

 

But his mind was much like a mosquito in your bedroom.

 

You forget about it during the day, and then when you finally try to get some rest the little bastard bothers you to hell and back.

 

Perhaps his own brain would always be his greatest enemy.

 

Tonight, though, none of that truly mattered.

 

It had not been a matter for about two weeks, actually.

 

After passing out, Hanzo had absolutely zero idea of what transpired. Even now his rescuers were vague and seemed to sort of avoid him to a degree - yet leaving hadn't been an option yet, either. Usually he would have forced the answers he wanted from them and found his way out of this necropolis already.  

 

But right here and now, sitting on a cliff's edge with the cool night breeze tousling his undone hair, Hanzo found himself sitting completely still.

 

His mind was silent.

 

This place sort of demanded it, too. At first glance it just seemed to be an abandoned part of the temple not too far away but just a quick look into the buildings would tell you someone had made this into a home. Someone dangerous, judging from the workshop he had taken the liberty of investigating when the other two had left to go do who knows what. 

 

He did not know much about them except for what most people in their business did.

 

The shrike and the soldier, an odd pair out. Thieves and mercenaries quite like himself - but it seemed like they were after more than just money. They were searching for something particular. What exactly that could be he’d probably never know.

 

He had not yet seen either one without a mask yet. Though when he was not in the same room as them, he could hear a glimpse of their unaltered voice if he concentrated on it. He found it safe to assume they were both old, and that the skinnier one was a woman of older age. They were friendly towards each other. The woman had an oddly positive and sometimes even playful (or at least teasing) side to her whereas the other was rather gruff and curt.

 

Hanzo did not particularly like them. But by now the woman had been the only one to even speak to him to a degree. She brought him food and drink and had proven to be of surprisingly good help with his... new legs. 

 

The reminder of what had been done to him distracted the bowman from his thoughts. He blinked, eyes slightly dried out from having stared into nothing for a while, and then he finally glanced beside him. The prosthetics lied on the ground, his freshly healed stumps the only things dangling off the ledge. It looked pathetic and he despised looking down - but there wasn't much use in avoiding the reality of his situation.

 

The woman had aided him in sort of adjusting them to suit him a little better as well as remove any unnecessary Talon malware. They worked, he could walk on them without too much trouble. Running and climbing proved to be a bit of a challenge as of right now... 

 

He just needed some more time.

  

And all of a sudden, that seemed to be the one thing he was lacking nowadays.

 

Even now he could see the sky starting to desaturate. Stars slowly faded away into a brightening blue, dawn breaking the night once more. 

 

”If you don’t start getting some regular rest I’m going to have to force you into one again.” 

 

The woman's altered voice did not startle Hanzo. Despite his musings he was well aware of his surroundings, her sandaled feet padding on the stone and through the sand by now a familiar sound to him.

 

“I am well rested. Just lying down on a stretcher doing nothing seems wasteful.”

 

”And now here you are, wasting your time sitting on the ground instead of said stretcher.”  

 

Tearing his eyes off his prosthetics, Hanzo finally looked at his host and the two steaming cups she was holding, one of which she calmly gestured towards the high-tech limbs with. “Are they uncomfortable?”

 

”No.” He answered truthfully. They felt strange, yes. He was still adjusting. Thankfully they turned out to be a pretty good fit after she had tinkered with them.

 

“I simply prefer not to wear them all the time.”

 

He watched her take a seat on the ground next to him, immediately noting that she had brought two cups - yet her mask was still on. 

 

Despite his curiosity and whereas he might have simply asked her to take it off in the past, the dragon decided to remain silent. Averting his gaze to return it to the night sky.

 

Her motives were still as much of a mystery as her identity. On one hand Hanzo could not fathom why these two complete strangers had rescued him and refused to even tell him why. On the other he found himself unable to be bothered being upset about that.

In a way he recognized that he should be grateful towards them. He might have held out months more in that cell, but... The thought of becoming a mindless puppet for an organization like that to use nearly made the bile rise in his throat. Experiencing gratitude and expressing it had always been a bit of an issue with him.

Hanzo was aware that he had been through much in his life. Especially in these past two or so years. One thing he knew that would always remain with him was his pride. Should he not have that.... Well.

 

If that day came he would no longer be Hanzo Shimada.

 

"So. You’ve been here for a while now, hm?”

 

A quick glance from the corner of his eye told Hanzo the Shrike had not yet moved from her spot.

 

”Indeed.”

 

”And when are you going to leave?”

 

For a second Hanzo paused. His fingers resting on the warm cup, his gaze ever so unreasonable. Then he slowly continued to take a gentle sip of his tea.

 

”... Are you telling me to get out of here?”

 

”Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but. We do wonder when you are planning on leaving.”

 

Despite her tone suggesting she was not truly upset with him in any way, Hanzo couldn’t help but feel a little indignant towards her. “I am not fit to go anywhere the way I am now.”

 

”That is a lie." The woman was beginning to sound humored by his attitude. It irked him. "You can walk and talk. Fighting might be a bit of a trouble, but that shouldn't last forever. We even got you a new bow. And you don’t necessarily need legs to use that. I don’t mind having a guest around, don't get me wrong. I only feel like you've got better things to do than sit around and mope here all day and night.”

 

”You have not yet given me any answers to my questions! I will not take off without knowing who you are and why you rescued me.”

 

Whether it was because of the suddenly aggressive tone he’d adopted or his actual statement, Hanzo did not know. But that seemed to have elicited her to finally turn her impassive mask towards him. Although he couldn’t see it, he felt she was scrutinizing him from behind that triangle.

 

“Ask your questions, then.”

 

Even through the voice alteration Hanzo could hear she was staying patient with him, refusing to let his irritation get to her. Like a mother talking to a child. It wasn’t a patronizing tone, but still. 

 

”Who are you?”

 

A simple question. But not an unimportant one. The woman lightly tilted her head and seemed to exhale deeply.

 

“I can’t give you any real names. You understand, don’t you?” She spoke up after a short silence, raising her hands up to the edges of the mask.

 

A soft click and a hiss was all it took. The mask was off.

 

Hanzo was admittedly a little taken aback. Not by the woman’s face, but by her willingness to show it. He had absolutely no clue about how much they knew about him. But no smart person in this industry gave up a part of their identity so easily. 

 

She looked... not quite as expected, but still rather normal. The only thing that really stood out was the tattoo under her eye and the eye patch. 

 

“Not what you expected?” She said, her unaltered voice slightly accented and lilted with amusement. 

 

“To a degree. You are a little...” Hm. He scrunched his face.

 

”Older than you thought. I've been in this business longer than you have, mister Shimada. There is no need to be so careful around me. You can't say anything I haven't heard already.”

 

”Some would say that requires me to be exceptionally careful. I did not speak my mind simply out of respect.”

 

”How very kind of you.” The woman finally raised her cup to her lips, a small and weirdly knowing smile gracing her features. Hanzo could say he had not guessed this kind of person would be behind that mask. She seemed to be around 60 years old, a little skinny but still healthy, and he was quite curious about what happened to her eye. That wasn't the issue at hand, however.

 

"You know my alias by now. I was a soldier, once. The best of my kind - if I do say so myself. I always was a fighter and never gave up on my team. One day, I just... made the biggest mistake of my life. It cost me an eye, the life I knew then, but most importantly the people I considered to be my family." A short silence fell. There was a gravity to her words that Hanzo was familiar with. "I failed those who needed me." She exhaled deeply through her nose and took a second before straightening up. "So. While I was presumed dead I built myself another life, continuing to do what I do best. And I happened to meet an old friend along the way."

With a slight nod towards the older man in the temple she finished her little tale. Of course it wasn't very in-depth, but Hanzo wasn't really looking for a life's story either. The way she carried herself and handled her weapon was indeed quite reminiscent of a past career in the military. That must mean the one in the letterman jacket must have a similar sort of history. Soldiers... but of what kind? What had happened to him to turn him into this masked vigilante? Their getups were oddly specific, like they had decided to dress up as made-up superhero characters. Hanzo most certainly understood the importance of hiding one's identity. But the outfits were anything but camouflaging or even generic enough to be not so easily recognizable. 

 

For a short moment they both remained silent. The shrike sat with her legs crossed, waiting expectantly for her guest to speak up again. He rubbed his nose in thought and slowly formulated his following question.

 

"How and why did you get me out of that place?" 

 

The woman hummed. "76 got word of you being in there through a contact. We had both heard the Shimada name before. I personally was quite surprised to discover you were captured. You always seemed to have a talent for being elusive. Quite surprising, concerning the way you usually dress."

 

"The same thing can be said about the both of you."

 

"Hah! I suppose you're right."

 

Taking no offense to Hanzo's quip, she let her lips curl into a smile, not in the least bothered by his sharp tongue. "We're no strangers to Talon, its people and its locations. We know the way they work. In fact, we have been following them for years trying to detect patterns. Getting in and out wasn't as big of a deal as you might think it was. As for the why..."

 

She paused. Her fingers lightly tapped on her rifle. The breeze had died down and left only the sounds of bugs thriving in the dark to fill their ears.

 

"In all honesty, we believed that leaving you in Talon's grasp wouldn't benefit anyone but them. And we fight to keep them from sticking their fingers in too many pies. You only would have been used to get a better grip on the east. Not to mention you're quite talented with a bow and arrow. We don't need a second Widowmaker to watch out for."

 

"That... is reasonable enough."

 

The dragon acknowledged her explanation and pulled the blanket around his shoulders a little tighter. Despite the whole just taking care of him and then letting him go kind of thing that was going on not really making sense to him he did not really want to press on about it. Because, well. Did it really matter? Even just sitting here in the dark, all out in the open without his bow at the ready... Usually, this would have made him feel incredibly vulnerable. Somehow he just could not bring it up in himself to care anymore. 

What other questions did he want to ask? He thought he had so much, but now he was left without even any words. He lived, he was here, sitting, breathing, the cup he was holding still warming his hands. His brain felt full and empty at the same time. Repeating the same memories over and over, the face of that devilish woman that took his legs. 

 

And Genji.

 

His brother, no longer at his side, now safe and sound with Overwatch. Yes, Hanzo had wondered if none of this would have happened if Genji was still with him. Well, wondered was not the right word. He knew that would not have happened. He would just have stopped him before he could even speak to Akande in the first place. It had been almost a year and a half since he had last laid eyes on his little sparrow. 

 

He almost lost it one night in that cell thinking of the way they had separated. 

 

Hanzo was aware of how many mistakes he had made with him, and how severe they had been. No matter how many times he had tried to make amends... It never felt like he did enough. Some mistakes could never be forgiven. He did not expect any real forgiveness from his brother. One last apology was all he had wanted. Though now that he was no longer in that place he could not find the courage to seek him out. It was an endlessly frustrating cycle that he put himself in. He simply did not know how to just fix it, fix himself. 

 

"... I have nowhere to go."

 

He spoke up at last, catching the shrike's attention as he stared out to the brightening horizon. There was a thickness to his voice he wished wasn't there but couldn't be bothered to clear out.

 

"I have no place to call home, no goals in mind. Nobody... to return to. I do not know... I simply do not have anything to do next." His confession was received with a soft and almost scolding click of her tongue .

 

"Then go out and find those things for yourself."

 

Hanzo whipped his head to look at her with a bit of an incredulous gaze. "It is not that easy--" He started to protest only to be interrupted quite easily.

 

"But sitting and moping around isn't going to help you, either."

 

He opened his mouth to retort something, then closed it again, muttering something under his breath before running a frustrated hand through his hair.

 

"When you think about it," She continued calmly, "the only thing you can do when you're at your deepest point is climb back up. You have to make peace and let go of what happened to you. You can't change the past. But you can make something of your future."

 

"I cannot become a better person."

 

"Maybe. Maybe not. There is really only one way to find out, right?"

 

With a soft groan the shrike got back up to her feet, dusting her legs off and reaching into one of her pockets. "Change can happen so easily if you want it to. And if you don't want it to, then you can just give it the time it needs. But you have to do something to make it happen." The golden ribbon drifted from her hand into Hanzo's, and his gaze flickered up from it to look at her encouraging smile. "You've got to keep traveling in order not to remain lost."

 

Her feet barely made any noise as she padded off to head back inside and Hanzo was left alone once again. He carefully set his cup down to run his fingers over the soft fabric of his ribbon, gently clutching it in both hands as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No way to go but up. He might not be able to actually climb yet, though with some practice that should not prove to be a problem much longer. He ought to count himself lucky for getting out of that situation as well as he did. The shrike had been right. It would be unbecoming of him to sit and do nothing.

 

Slowly releasing his breath, Hanzo's eyes opened as he threw the blanket off and his hands reached up. Pushing his hair back and pulling at the locks to tie them up like he had done so many times before.

 

The sun finally peeked over the edge of the horizon, its light washing over the rocks and sands and renewing the land.

 

It was time to go.

 

His prosthetics slipped on quite easily and he got up without too much trouble, either. He didn't have much stuff to even take along, but the bow and arrows that his saviors had provided him with should suffice until he could get a hold of a better one. When he silently entered the workshop the other two were right there, the soldier barely bothering to look up from his work. The shrike however reached down to grab a bag and tossed it his way. "Some food, water, a medkit, a passport." She summed up as he checked it.

 

"... Thank you." His words were genuine and he could see she knew that his gratitude was not just for this bag. 

 

"Next time we meet, don't let it be in another cell."

 

He did not hesitate to give her an affirming nod. The soldier very briefly shifted to look at him with that angry red stripe, staring him down for a good second.

 

"Don't make me regret hauling your ass out of there."

 

Not deeming that remark worthy of a real answer, Hanzo let out a mere huff before turning and taking his leave, exiting the alcove the two called their base. The nearest airport couldn't be far away. There was a Helix base right by the temple, there was bound to be an aircraft or two there. He could simply sneak on board and see where he'd end up. He would work with the cards he was going to be dealt.

 

He was still surviving.

 

He was still Hanzo Shimada. And he was going to have to live back up to that name.

 

\- - - - - - -  

 

For a long while readjusting back to the real world was a bit difficult.

 

Once he'd hitched a ride on a cargo plane and landed somewhere in North America it was easy to disappear into the melting pot that the USA was. There were plenty contacts he knew to seek and find, an abundance of jobs, plenty of ways to find and buy himself a new bow. He hadn't gotten a new one in so long, but it felt good to do it. A 'new year, new me' kind of scenario - but with a very deadly weapon. He liked that.

Hanzo often retreated into the rougher parts of the country, traversing canyons, mountains and forests to train himself and his new legs. It took a short period of time to regain his normal, healthy weight and muscle mass. Staying in the outdoors felt different after having been imprisoned for a couple of weeks. Every breath of fresh air was happily welcomed, the sunshine, the rain, it all felt new and fresh. Feeling his body react to his training was now incredibly gratifying. His burning muscles and sweat rolling down his back almost made him feel good about himself.

When he did return to civilization he remained as invisible as possible. He stayed in small hotels and motels, living mostly off takeaway, microwave meals and the occasional bottle of sake. Though when he came across a market he usually stockpiled on fresh fruits and vegetables, too. And so he traversed the country in search for the goal he needed. The shrike's words stayed with him. He needed to give him time. And he was a rather patient person, he wasn't shy to admit that and his pride hadn't been damaged too much.

 

But after nearly three months he did start to wonder if he was doing something wrong.

 

After a particularly frustrating day of walking down a road for about 26 miles in the burning sun he finally rewarded himself by stepping into a bar as soon as he finally reached a city. It was a small place, it reeked of cigarette smoke, there was a small, old TV showing some sort of sports game and there were only a couple of old guys playing cards in the back. Just the way he remembered all good bars to be. 

He ordered himself some expensive sake, ignoring the way the bartender pursed his lips in judgement of his choice of drink and calmly downing half of it when he received it. 

This was nice. Before, way in the beginning of their exile, Hanzo used to sneak off when Genji was asleep to do this. He always felt bad eating or drinking in front of his brother simply because he'd rendered him unable to do so. The guilt often got worse when he'd stumble back, get an hour of sleep and wake up to Genji being more than aware of what he'd been doing that night from the smell alone. He never spoke about it, though. Another kindness Hanzo knew he never really deserved. 

 

Genji.

 

His mind kept wandering back to him nowadays. That's what he got for ignoring it for so long, he supposed.

 

Maybe that was what he needed to do. Find him, and...

 

And what? 

 

Talk?

 

Fight?

 

The dragon frowned and stared into his glass like it was going to give him the answer he wanted.

 

"Hanzo?"

 

That voice. 

 

The man behind it.

 

He nearly tossed his drink off the counter, staring at the liquid a little incredulously before quickly turning in his seat.

 

 

"Well, I'll be damned. Didn’t think I’d meet you again. Not like this, at least."

 

 

Jesse McCree, in the flesh, standing right there in front of him.

 

"... You don't seem very happy to see me." With a light smirk gracing his expression the cowboy took the liberty of sitting down next to him and ordering himself a whiskey.

 

Flabbergasted wasn't even the right word to describe the way Hanzo felt in that moment. Stumped, baffled, perplexed, everything at once. How did he get here? Did he seek him out? How had he not heard him coming in with those ridiculous boots of his?

 

"How big are the odds, huh? Meeting in a random bar twice." McCree continued, unpertubed by the other's visible confusion.

 

Regaining his sanity and his tongue, Hanzo straightened up and looked straight ahead as he answered. "How big, indeed. I do not believe in coincidence." 

 

"So maybe it's fate?"

 

That remark and his obliviousness towards Hanzo's annoyance earned Jesse a very sour look.

 

 "Dang. I forgot how uptight you are. I'm just tryin' to lighten the atmosphere, archer. You're lookin' a little gloomy."

 

"Why are you here?" Hanzo almost hissed, his surprise and annoyance rapidly making way for weariness and anger. 

 

"Same as you. To get a drink. I didn't follow you here, if that's what you thought. I'm not here on any business." The cowboy paused to order a drink. "Not today, at least."

 

"Did _he_ send you after me?"

 

There was a short silence as Jesse appraised the alcohol he'd been given, seemingly purposefully letting Hanzo steam in the emotions he was holding back.

 

"You can say his name, y'know." The man's voice was laced with an annoying amount of nonchalance. "Genji did not ask me to hunt you down. He can do that himself if he wants to. Sorry to disappoint." Jesse shrugged and threw back his whiskey before ordering another. "'Sides, I haven't seen or spoken to him for... How long is it now. Must be nearly half a year."

 

That seemed to catch Hanzo off guard. 

 

"Is he no longer with Overwatch?"

 

His careful question was met with a bemused snort. "No, he is. He's been on an ''indefinite mission'' to an ''undisclosed location'' for about six months now." Before the other could speak up he held up a hand, signifying he wasn't done yet. "He regularly updates us on his wellbeing. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

 

"Do not use your degrading expressions on me."

 

"It's not degrading-- look." Jesse let out a sigh and made some stern eye contact with him, the warm browns of his irises intently focused on him. 

"I understand that you might harbor some sort of... Let's call it animosity, towards me. And I don't blame you. But you seem to forget that last time we saw one another you beat my ass and tied me up before abandoning me to go and huddle with your lil' talon friends. I got plenty reasons to fight you and I decided not to. Don't try and make me change that decision now. 'Cause you're not gonna catch me off guard like that again."

There was a tense silence as the two stared off and clashed in silence. Even the locals put a halt on their game to look over at them. A nervous tension seemed to have fallen over the bar...  Until Hanzo scoffed and the men both turned back to their drinks. The others continued their friendly gambling, minding the strangers in the corners of their eyes.

For a while they both sat there and drank, sizing each other up and making their own assumptions. Jesse was unsure why someone like Hanzo was in this particular bar while Hanzo still didn't quite believe the cowboy was here by accident.

 

But he wasn't the same man he was before. Chances and changes and all that. 

 

"I do not associate myself with Talon anymore." He managed, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke. Most of him did not want to keep up a conversation with McCree. Though there was a little voice that annoyed him into an attempt to explain himself.

 

"Yeah, I figured."

 

"And how is that?"

 

"I though that if you were, you'd be back in your little castle up on your Japanese hill doing shit rich people do."

 

Hanzo was trying, he really was. Somehow the cowboy just got on his nerves without even wanting to do so. Wanting to try and be a bigger man in the situation he bit back a frustrated response and took another angry sip of his drink. If McCree wanted to converse with him, he ought to put in some effort himself. 

And he did. Though not in the way Hanzo would have liked.

 

"They take your legs?" 

 

The change of tone in the other's voice caught Hanzo's attention more than the question itself. The mention of his missing body parts reminded him of how quickly he'd learned to live with it. He wondered how McCree lost that arm of his. Had it been Talon, as well? Or something else entirely? Despite not having done any real research into the man's past, Hanzo was aware he had a vivid one. There wasn't any direct curiosity. Though the fact they had one thing in common was almost funny to him. They came from completely different worlds and he was willing to bet they were complete opposites of one another, yet... To this, to missing limbs, they were able to relate to one another.

For now a small nod sufficed as an answer to his question. 

"Sorry 'bout that." Despite his still rather disgruntled demeanor he could hear Jesse's words were genuine. "I've heard about the shit they do to captives. It's fuckin' bad. If anything I'm glad you're out of that situation. I guess in a way you're lucky you had Genji to get your experience with prosthetics from. Hell, you really surprised me with that one. This thing was custom-made by top notch cyberneticists." The cowboy tapped his metal arm to emphasize, unaware of the cogs in Hanzo's brain rapidly turning.

 

Lucky to have had Genji. That sounded... strange. Almost wrong. 

 

"... How much did he tell you about our past?" His voice remained even, keeping the other in the dark about the suspicions he had.

 

"Nothing much, really. Didn't like speakin' about it, so we didn't press on it."

 

 "So you are not aware of who inflicted those... wounds. That. To him?"

 

"Nope." Jesse lightly turned his head, connecting their gazes with intrigue. There were a couple questions hidden behind his. "Should I be?"

 

Hanzo broke eye contact almost immediately. Why? Why would he not have told these people? With the way he'd left, he figured-- ... Hm. 

 

"If he deems it unnecessary, I suppose not."

 

The tension between the two eased a little as they continued to simply sit and drink. At one point Jesse even took out his communicator to calmly tap away on, and Hanzo found himself to slowly accept this man had indeed not come here to pick a fight or force information out of him. That still left the question of whether or not he'd followed him here - though that did not matter much at the moment.

 

"My apologies." Hanzo decided to break the silence.

 

"For what?" Jesse asked without looking up from his holopad.

 

"For engaging you in battle and leaving you in that hotel room."

 

Now that seemed to pleasantly surprise the man. He put his communicator down and even fully turned towards the other, lightly tipping his hat back to look at him with a broad smirk.

 

"I do believe that was the very first time you've ever been nice to me, mister Shimada."

 

"It's not necessarily nice. I was trying to be respectful." Hanzo countered and leaned back a little, finding himself to be a little uncomfortable under such direct attention from the other. The way he did a complete 180 was a little bit scary. No one had smiled like that to him in ages, either.

 

"Aw, no need to scramble back like that. There's no harm in bein' kind." With a soft chuckle the man scratched through his scruff. "In fact, I'd like to thank you for deciding to apologize to me. That was unexpected and, well. Appreciated, if I'm bein' honest." 

 

What? What was going on?

 

"I- Yes. I suppose." He quickly spoke just to have filled the expectant silence.

 

"You suppose what?" The cowboy smiled even wider, corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement as he leaned in against the bar.

 

"Nothing. Please mind my personal space."

 

Despite the sudden and cold cut-off Jesse couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he obeyed, fabric of his serape rustling as he did. "Y'know, I'll be honest. I really didn't like you for a very long time. I debated walkin' straight back out of here as soon as I saw you sitting here at the bar. I don't know, I figured I might at least give you one more chance. Your brother was quite adamant that you're not that bad a person. I might not believe in you, but I do believe him."

With a bunch of noise the man got off the barstool and paid for his drinks. "I have no idea if I'll ever see you again and I don't really know you at all. But if you're ever in a pinch... Well." He took out a small metal case from his pocket, taking out a cigar and taking his time in lighting it before finishing his sentence.

"I won't shoot you at first sight if you come to the watchpoint, at the very least." He had the audacity to wink and tip his hat towards him before bidding the barman farewell, leaving the bar like a spaghetti-western style cowboy would leave a saloon, leaving Hanzo almost more confused than he was before. He half expected to hear the sound of hooves that galloped away coming from the outside (and was quite thankful that didn't actually happen).

 

Why were all his encounters with this man so strange?

 

Trying to shake that whole event off, Hanzo followed the other's example in paying for his drinks and getting out of the establishment. When he did step out onto the street the other was nowhere in sight. How did such a noisy man disappear without a trace so quickly? He felt like he was left with more questions than he had before meeting that guy. 

 

But one thing that he had noticed about himself was that he had finally been able to somewhat speak about Genji without getting messed up internally. That was a good thing. 

 

Was this the change he had been looking for?

 

Desert dust kicked up as Hanzo stepped into the sun with a newfound energy. There was a very dark anniversary coming up. In the past the date of that fateful day had been a dark cloud over his head. Now it was still a cloud - but it wasn't nearly as dreadful as it was before. Because he now had a goal.

 

For too long had he been avoiding everything that had to do with him, Genji, and the beginning of the end. 

 

He was good in running from his problems. But he was also strong enough to face them.

 

He was going to go back to Hanamura. He wasn't expecting to find Genji there - but he was not going to go there for his brother. 

 

This was going to be all for himself.

 

 

Shimada castle was waiting for him.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iTs BeEn A wHiLe
> 
> bit of a filler, bit of plot, bit of the reason everyone came here for.
> 
> I wonder how many of you guessed right on who the reunion was gonna be with HAH
> 
> ty for reading, as always, hope you enjoyed this one!


	10. 物の哀れ // monoaware

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **物の哀れ** | **monoaware**   
> 
> the awareness of the impermanence of all things; 
> 
> the gentle sadness and wistfulness at their passing.

Despite avoiding the country and its capital for many years, returning to Japan felt like so much more than just a breath of fresh air.

 

There was a familiarity to the sights he was met with. Tokyo still consisted mostly of a cacophony of lights and sounds, gigantic holograms enveloping the towering buildings and bombarding the hundreds of people on the streets with obnoxious advertisements. Despite all those distractions Hanzo was aware he stood out with his current attire and thus chose to disappear into the underbelly of the city until sundown.

After briefly visiting a couple of old and trusted shops and bars he sought out a hotel in the outskirts of the city. His room offered a view of his home in the distance. The palace's towers stood out against the sky. Hanzo found them looking oddly ominous like this. After all these years, there shouldn't be many illegal activities happening in there anymore. Perhaps it was now used as a storage facility of sorts, or something other equally unimportant.

With a bag full of new ammunition, food and drink the archer settled in his room, watching the sun go down as he sifted through the messages on his holopad and did some light maintenance on his bow. He had to give it to the shrike and her accomplice; they hadn't spared any expenses on this one. It wasn't going to be another storm bow, but after a closer inspection he could only deduce it was a masterfully crafted weapon. It did make him wonder where or who they'd gotten it from, but that was a question for another time and place.

Hanzo placed his communicator down, directing his attention at the island in the distance that was Hanamura. 

He had an odd feeling about this.

Not necessarily a bad one. Just something foreboding.

Like something significant was bound to happen if he would go there tonight.

A couple white flecks fluttered into his view, snapping him out of his thoughts. The snowflakes fell quickly, covering his windowsill in a thin layer after just five minutes. According to his holopad the snowfall thankfully wouldn't last longer than an hour or two. It was going to be a cold night. Especially considering the castle was incredible drafty with all the open doorways and whatnot. 

The city hadn't really changed all that much. Hanzo wondered how different his ancestral home had become.

Tonight, he would find out.

 

\- - - 

 

In the cover of darkness the city seemed like a completely different world. The chaos had dissipated, making way for an almost peaceful silence save for the occasional animal scuttling about or buzzing of neon lights. 

Hanamura was no different.

With a soft thud he landed on the pavement in front of the arcade. Thanks to his new legs he was able to fall from much greater heights with a lot less effort. Most of the snow had dissipated, keeping his footsteps quiet as he approached the castle gates. Seeing that sigil carved into the solid wood dooming up in front of him again... It felt rather surreal, but he did not give it a second thought as he climbed up on it.

Now was the time to concentrate.

The amount of men standing guard was a little unexpected...

 

Though nothing he was not able to deal with. 

 

With a deadly whistle an arrow bore into the omnic guard's core, sending it to the floor with the sizzle of failing electronics.

Taking advantage of the surprise, the archer jumped down on the platform and followed a solid blow to the face with his elbow into the next man's stomach, launching him into the gravel below. 

In front of the bell tower another frantically reached for his phone, nearly dropping it as he ran - and letting out a shout as an arrow shot the device out of his hand. His ear rang with the sound and he smacked face first into the bell.

 

The soft echo reached Hanzo as he calmly snapped the neck of the man he'd been holding in his arm.

 

The gravel crunched ever so slightly as he hopped down onto the gravel. He went through the archway towards the main building, going past the pavilion without skipping a beat. There was no time to reminisce about the hours he'd spent in there, drinking tea together with his mother or playing games with his brother. 

 

When he reached the main hall his heart clenched for a second. He wavered ever so slightly, eyes fixated on the scroll hanging center stage and the cut at the bottom. 

 

The darkened bloodstain that surrounded it.

 

With a shake of his head the man regained himself, silently padding into the middle of the room. The tatami mats had been replaced a long time ago, the new color already faded with age. Despite everything that had happened - how he had changed his life, his family, even seeing his own sword displayed like it was an important family heirloom that sickened him to the core...

 

Hanamura castle still felt like home. 

And he absolutely despised it.

 

With a deep breath Hanzo stepped back, sinking to his knees and placing his bow by his side. 

For just a moment he allowed the weight of his memories to sink into him. He remembered happier times. That was the problem. Before, he only associated this place with his brother and the mistakes he had made. Now he saw it in a completely different light. Nostalgia, homesickness, whatever it was he could not exactly put his finger on it. It came to mind that he did not bring anything to offer. Then again, now that he mulled over it he realized it would have felt wrong to do so. 

 

Genji was not dead.

 

He was out there, somewhere.

 

A noise, so soft anyone untrained would have never picked up on it. Someone on the platform on top of the main entrance, standing there.

 

Waiting.

 

Hanzo opened his eyes. It couldn't be him. 

 

"You are not the first assassin sent to kill me." His voice reverberated throughout the room, empty of any emotion, his fingers sliding over to the handle of his bow.

 

" _But I would not be the last._ "

 

That voice.

 

With undignified haste Hanzo scrambled to get up on his feet, clutching his bow tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. In response the figure jumped down without making any real noise, the warm light of the lanterns revealing his form. With a soft hum the lights on his body lit up a bright green, his impassive visor fixed on the man in front of him. A hush fell over them both, making them both tense and unsure. Neither of them showing any sort of emotion but both waiting for the other to make the first move.

What was one to say in this situation?

 

"Why are you here?" Hanzo found his voice sounding odd, distant, almost. This whole situation felt completely surreal.

 

"I had a feeling you would be here, as well."

 

"So you came for me, then." 

 

"And you? You seemed unaware I was following your every move since I noticed you by the arcade."

 

That reveal rubbed Hanzo the wrong way. So Genji decided to follow him, keeping quiet until he was noticed? What were his true intentions? 

 

"You've been busy, I see." His brother spoke up before he could even answer his question. "A new bow. New legs." Despite the lack of eyes, Hanzo could feel him looking at his prosthetics. There was a lack of shock or surprise in his voice. Whether or not that was intentional or a side-effect from that mask he could not hear. 

 

"Talon must have been good for you."

 

The way Genji so nonchalantly dropped that name sparked a rather aggressive reaction from Hanzo as he stepped forward, his demeanor shifting from being apprehensive to downward aggression. "It seems you have not lost your habit of speaking about things you have not got the slightest clue about." He retorted. "Either state your business or leave. I have no intention of going through this with you here and now."

 

"You must be in a hurry. Did you come here to retrieve some important information? Or..." Genji shifted ever so slightly, looking just past his brother. "Maybe you came back to retrieve your sword."

 

For a moment Hanzo felt just the worst kind of shock he'd ever experienced. Was he honestly insinuating...? Did he truly believe he was that far gone? "Don't you dare." He managed to breathe.

 

"It does match with your new bow." 

 

With an enraged snarl Hanzo nocked an arrow. Genji narrowly dodged it by ducking out of its way in the blink of an eye. "Still as childish as ever." The older brother began as he reached for another. "Attempting to challenge me without truly knowing what has been going on."

 

"Yet here you are, reacting to it as you would have ten years ago and refusing to give me an explanation. Does that make you a better man than me?" Genji came back out from the lantern he'd been hiding behind, launching a couple shuriken towards the other who just barely managed to dodge them.

 

"It does not. But the world is not as black and white as you think it is!" In an attempt to deflect the arrow sent straight into his chest, Genji was thrown down onto the floor below, having to quickly run from the storm arrows his brother tracked him with. In a flurry of movements and clashing of blade against arrowheads he avoided them all, jumping back up onto the main floor only to dash over to the terrace. 

 

His dragons restlessly crawled underneath his skin, and Hanzo quickly ran up the steps to follow the other into the cold air of the night. 

 

"You tell yourself that you will find your own path and fulfill your duties." An arrow split the silence, nestling itself into one of the walls with a dull sound. "You have told yourself that for all your life. Yet all I have seen you do is wander the world without any kind of goal or clear morals. What am I to deduce from that?"

 

"Perhaps if you would have taken the chance of actually communicating with me, you would have deduced something else entirely!" The world seemed to slow down as Hanzo watched his arrow soar through the air, towards his brother's heart. But he didn't move. He wasn't ducking out of the way. And for the briefest of moments he knew he was making the same mistake. His left arm froze up and his heart stopped. 

 

He was going to kill him again.

 

And then, at the very last second, Genji moved so fast, too fast for the human eye. His arrow split in half on the edge of his blade. Both halves buried themselves into the floor.

An immense relief washed over him. And then immediately an unspeakable rage that flared up again. With a growl he took off, swinging his bow at the other. Both being well-trained and skillful assassins, they both dodged and deflected one another almost automatically - though Hanzo had underestimated his brother's strength. He could hear the mechanisms of his new body work as he jumped and kicked him back, launching him into the wooden railing and jumping impossibly high. He saw the other drawing his short blade and reacted just in time with his own bow to block it, the railing breaking and splintering off under his back. 

Their arms quaked with raw strength as they kept each other at bay. Hanzo grit his teeth. He couldn't hold him back forever, he knew that much. Even before, Genji was stronger simply because of his artificial limbs. 

 

"You think you can twist it so that I seem to be the one at fault? You were the one who left when redemption was within your grasp!" His brother sounded strained, like he was trouble holding himself back. Time was running out. Hanzo's eyes flashed as he took notice of the intact arrow nearby.

"You dare lecture me about redemption?" He snarled, his arm crackling with a surge of energy that wanted to claw its way out. There was a roaring in his ears growing louder and louder. "You wouldn't know redemption if you were holding a blade to its neck!" With a grunt he pushed his blade to the side, using his bow to throw him over his shoulder, giving him the opportunity to slide over to his arrow. He took it, raised his bow, and looked straight into that poisonous green visor. Let the dragons judge him for what he was worth.

 

" _Ryū ga waga teki wo kurau!_ "

 

The energy released, leaving him almost breathless as the dragons twisted out of him and soared through his arrow, a roaring spectacle of gnashing teeth, claws and electrical fire as they headed straight for his brother.

And then Genji reached for his sword. Almost in slowmotion he watched as a flash of green broke through his own blue, the words he last heard at least a decade ago now shouted loud and clear.

 

" _Ryūjin no ken wo kurae_!"

 

The green dragon joined his brothers without a fight, swerving over Genji's head as they harmoniously intertwined. Hanzo noticed his intention too late. His own dragons returned to him with an unparalleled fierceness. There was no option but to take the full brunt of their attack. Never before had they cost him so much energy and pain... They left him spent, breathless, falling to his knees and bow clattering to the wooden floor. 

"You were not able to control your dragon before." He murmured, barely lifting his gaze to look at the other.

He'd always thought... It had been his fault, that Genji had lost the connection. That it was his duty to help him retrieve that connection and summon his dragon once again. He'd pictured it so often in his mind. The day Genji became whole again. That was all he ever wanted. All the work he'd done, the care he'd given, even the lectures and other stern words - all of it, everything, he'd always done for Genji. A short, humorless laugh left his chest as he looked back up at Genji. His little brother.

 

"What else have I missed?"

 

Genji's fingers curled around the hilt of his wakizashi. With a swift flash of green he was at his side, and Hanzo could feel the cold metal of the blade resting ever so lightly against the skin of his throat. 

So this was how it was going to end.

After years of built-up anger and resentment, he could not blame his brother for wanting to finish him here and now. There was no more struggle, no more regret.  

 

"Do it, then." He whispered, words laden with a deep emotion he couldn't truly put into words. 

 

"Kill me."

 

Something changed, then. Genji moved his head ever so slightly. His blade tilted just a little bit more. Hanzo let him. It was going to be now or never, and he was prepared for both.

 

"... No." He sounded different now, too, allowing himself to let go of the coldness he had been treating the other with. He quietly sheathed his blade, allowing the other to lower his chin and release a slightly shaky breath. "I cannot grant you a death you do not deserve. You have yet to find a purpose in life, brother."

"Purpose." Hanzo echoed as he grasped his bow and got back up on his feet. The brothers calmly faced one another, the older looking more exhausted than he wanted to be. "Take off that mask, Genji." 

The demand seemed to catch him off guard... But after a second he complied anyway, reaching to the back of his head. With a soft click the front of the mask released and allowed Genji to take the piece of metal away.

His face... was the same. Hanzo was thankful for that. There had been some minor adjustments most likely done to ease his ability to speak. But it was still his brother in there. 

 

"What did they do to you?"

 

"I have accepted what I am. And I have forgiven you." He stepped forward to place a hand on Hanzo's shoulder. "Now you must learn to forgive yourself."

 

"Forgiven me." The archer repeated, mild confusion flashing across his features. "For what?"

 

Genji paused, also a little unsure of what he meant. "... For leaving me back then in Gibraltar."

 

"And what about everything I did to you right there?" The elder lightly motioned towards the main room on their left.

 

"Hanzo." With an almost exasperated sigh Genji stepped back again. "You know I have forgiven you for that a long time ago--"

 

"Yet you are aware I have not and will never forgive myself for that. I do wonder why you assume there is anything to forgive about what I did back in Gibraltar."

 

"I do not understand what you mean." 

 

The genuine confusion Genji seemed to be experiencing left Hanzo feeling like it was time he needed to be truly clear with his brother. 

"I do not feel any remorse about leaving you then and there." He started off, lightly glaring at the other when he seemed to want to interrupt his story. "The manner with which I departed was not how I wished I had, but... It was a culmination of unfortunate circumstances. I suppose that, and not having witnessed your growth, are the only things I regret. Though I firmly believe that having let you go down your own path has only helped you further discover and develop yourself. It is as you just said. You have finally accepted who you are."

"... Well. Yes. I can't take that from you, but it was painful. It really was. I felt abandoned, Hanzo."

"Which is understandable. And I owe you an apology for that. However, I also need you to know that ever since we left this place, our home, together... I did everything for you. And do not believe I am saying this to excuse myself or receive your pity. Every single day I thought about the next thing I could do to make things better for you. Whenever I looked at you, it did not matter when or where, I was reminded of the despicable things I had done to you. I can never forgive myself for that. Nor do I want to."

"I know that." 

"No, you do not."

With a tired gaze the eldest gazed at his sibling. "I lost myself after leaving Gibraltar and made some of the worst mistakes I ever had. That includes being an insignificant part of Talon for a short period of time. After I got out of there it took me a while to realize that for things in my life to change, I needed to be willing to change myself, as well." It was Genji's independence and changes that he was grateful for. In a way, those made his misfortune worth the while.

 

A long silence fell, though it did not feel as weighted as before. They were talking - no, truly communicating, for the first time in a decade. They both needed this more than anything.

 

Genji stepped aside, looking out to the city below as he formulated his next sentence. "I had prepared a whole set of speeches for when I met you again, but... Those are starting to feel rather futile now." He admitted and even chuckled a little. "Never in my life did I expect to hear those words coming out of your mouth."

"What words?"

"Change and myself. Let alone both of them in one sentence."

With a mildly annoyed huff Hanzo let his brother stand in front of him. He'd gotten a little taller, it seemed. 

"During my stay in Nepal-"

"Nepal?"

"Yes. I will have to explain sometime else. I have a master-"

"Master."

"A monk. Omnic. Sort of all-knowing."

...

"You would probably hate him."

"Perhaps."

"He has helped me think about everything in another light. Especially when it considers you. At the time back in Gibraltar I felt like you and I belonged together. That it was impossible for you to leave me because of the guilt. And when you did leave it shocked and even angered me. I thought it unfair you were just going to go and leave me to my devices, not thinking I was fully capable of taking care of myself. But I have started to see all the other sacrifices you had made for me. And that I had been selfish, even, to have always wanted things to go my way or for you not to find your own path, like you always said you would."

Despite his words ringing true in his mind, Hanzo felt like his brother wasn't necessarily right on a couple things he had just stated. But... it was his right to consider himself having been selfish. That was something he could not take away from him. "We have both changed, Genji." 

"I suppose we have."

"You know, McCree contacted me a while back." The sudden mention of the cowboy took Hanzo by surprise. "Apparently he ran into you in a bar. His opinion about you seemed to have changed, as well. What exactly did you do to him?"

"Absolutely nothing. And if I did anything, it is none of your business."

The youngest cracked a smile before lifting his mask back up to his face, mechanism hissing as it locked back into the place it belonged before returning to the matter at hand.

"You are aware that it isn't just us, brother. The world has changed as well. I had been away from Overwatch for quite some time, but it appears that their enemies are growing stronger and their resources are dwindling. I am planning to help them for as long and to the best extent that I can." He paused, seemingly considering his next words. "They... have given me purpose, Hanzo. They might not share the same ideals as you, but you do share a common enemy." 

Talon.

Hanzo's brow furrowed and he gave a small nod.

"There is much still left to discuss between us." Genji continued as he stepped towards the edge of the platform. "My time left in Japan is running out. You will be able to find me in Gibraltar."

 

Watching his brother effortlessly leap towards the palace outer wall made something inside of Hanzo surge. The sparrow soared once more.

 

"Why do you do it?" He called after him. One last answer before he would go. "Why do you fight for them?"

 

"There is more to Overwatch than playing hero," came his calm reply, "I believe there are still things left in this world fighting for, and so do they. Think on that, brother."

 

A tuft of smoke whirled around him, dissipating to reveal his brother's disappearance... save for a single feather fluttering down into the treeline below. Hanzo was left behind with an oddly full heart and much to think about. Knowing that Genji believed so strongly in the good of those people and that there was beauty left on the planet worth protecting was almost inspiring.

He would have called it naivety before. Change was a real thing, though. And it was happening right here and now. Second chances were not quickly given out or received. 

 

Things were never going to be the same as before. But he did not need that anymore, either. 

 

He had always believed he was unable to make the world a better place. The shrike's words now came to him again, telling him he would not know that if he did not try. 

 

The moon broke out from a couple of thick clouds, illuminating the castle and brightening his thoughts. 

 

At least the cowboy was not going to shoot him on sight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had a lot of trouble with this one. doing the short justice in this au was very difficult and I'm still not sure if I like it buuut I wanted to get it out. also have a lot of fears im portraying them both out of character ahahdjnvj 
> 
> apologies for the long wait, hope you enjoy this one anyway !!
> 
> merry christmas and a happy new year 💌

**Author's Note:**

>  _blockquote/whole slab of text_ italic = flashback
> 
> '' _spoken words_ '' italic = spoken in native language
> 
> \- - -
> 
> First time writing a fic in a long while so apologies if it's all a little janky. I'm still rusty.
> 
> English isn't my native language. If there are any jarring grammatical errors please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> \- - -
> 
> // _kudos and comments keep me fueled!_ //


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